VINALES SAYS KTM CONTRACT TERMS PUSH HIM TO RACE INJURED

Maverick Vinales has criticised MotoGP rider contracts after returning to competition in Australia while still short of full fitness. The KTM rider says he is racing despite an ongoing left-shoulder injury that has troubled him for more than a year because the team will not pay his agreed salary if he does not compete. “If I stay at home, I don’t get paid,” Vinales said, highlighting the financial pressure behind his decision to ride. His situation, he argued, reflects a broader problem with the way riders’ contracts are structured.