VINALES RETURNS TO MOTOGP WITH CONFIDENCE IN SHORT SUPPLY

Maverick Viñales returned to MotoGP action at the Japanese Grand Prix after missing the races since the summer break with a shoulder injury. His first day back at Motegi was a difficult one: he finished 18th in FP1, then improved to a 1m44.836s in Practice but remained last, 2.025 seconds off the fastest time.

The Tech3 KTM rider said the circuit’s heavy braking demands made it a particularly tough place to resume. “Not the best track to come back to, to be honest,” he said, pointing to the “massive hard brakings.” Still, he viewed Friday as a starting point and said the priority was to concentrate on improving with the bike.

Viñales admitted he was short of confidence and had lost the feel needed to adapt quickly. “I’m completely out of the feelings the bike is giving me to really adapt to what the bike needs to go fast,” he explained. He also said he had “no flow with the bike,” leaving him with “not much confidence.” His target for the weekend is to finish the race, then rebuild his feel gradually.

The Spaniard said his physical condition was better than expected, particularly in his forearms. “I expected to struggle more,” he said, adding that his body was “quite good” and that he was optimistic, despite knowing there was work to do.

He plans to use the team’s data from KTM teammates Pedro Acosta and Enea Bastianini as he gets back up to speed. Viñales said the bike appears to turn better than he remembered, but he is entering corners too quickly and currently cannot slow it down as he wants. Finding the right balance for braking and turning, he said, will take repeated laps and setup work.

“The bike is working,” he noted, pointing to Acosta’s pace and Bastianini’s performance. The challenge now is to understand what the KTM needs while also helping the machine respond to his requests. Viñales said he had faced a similar learning process last year, but stressed that this bike requires a specific balance. For his comeback weekend, he is focused on building confidence step by step rather than chasing an immediate result.