VINALES CONSIDERS QUITTING IF MEDICAL SCANS FIND A FRACTURE

Maverick Viñales left the 2026 Qatar Grand Prix with more questions about his injured shoulder than answers. The KTM Tech3 rider finished 13th in Sunday’s race, after placing 15th in the sprint, and was only ahead of Honda stand-in Jake Dixon in the Grand Prix. He had started last, behind Dixon.

The result was a stark contrast with Viñales’ performance at the same event a year earlier. In 2025, he crossed the line second, but a 16-second penalty for low front-tyre pressure dropped him to 14th. That strong showing had been a source of optimism for Viñales and KTM, followed by several good results before a crash at the Sachsenring injured his shoulder. His form and physical condition have since been a struggle.

Viñales said the Qatar race was difficult, particularly because he had to put heavy strain on his right arm and developed some arm pump. Still, he was pleased to finish. He found a decent rhythm around the middle of the race, which he had not expected, but said making progress was “very complicated.”

The 31-year-old plans to see a doctor the following week for examinations, including MRI scans, to establish what is wrong. He said he was concerned that something might be broken because his condition was not improving. “It’s not that I feel a little better at every race,” he explained. “I either feel no improvement or I have more pain.”

Viñales said he would stop racing if tests confirmed a fracture. With only the Portimão and Valencia rounds remaining, he said there would be little point continuing if he could not recover or improve. “I don’t like riding at the back. I hate it every single lap,” he said, adding that he would quit if there was nothing positive to expect.

His KTM future is already set to end after this season, and what comes next remains uncertain. Viñales admitted his current condition had drained his desire to continue: “I have no motivation to carry on, because when I feel like this, it makes no sense to ride a bike at 50 percent. I don’t feel good inside.” He said the next step would depend on the medical findings—whether he needs surgery, can recover at home, or has to stop altogether.