Maverick Viñales, the KTM MotoGP standout, spent a Valencia track day piloting a Yamaha street bike as he continues his winter training. Even though the 2025 MotoGP season wrapped only a couple of weeks ago, Viñales has been relentlessly training on bikes across multiple circuits in recent weeks.
The Tech3 KTM rider is still rebuilding his fitness after a shoulder injury sustained in a qualifying crash at the German Grand Prix last July. The injury proved tougher to recover from than initially expected, with doctors estimating a 16-week recuperation period.
Viñales attempted several comebacks, beginning with KTM’s home race in Austria, but he ultimately withdrew from those events. He then returned to race in Catalonia, San Marino, and Japan, before pulling out of the Indonesian Grand Prix due to shoulder pain. He sat out the next three rounds and resurfaced in Valencia.
Upon his return, Viñales explained that persistent shoulder issues prevented his usual training, resulting in muscle loss during his absence. Since Valencia’s finale, he has increased his on-bike work, and a video released by new rider coach Jorge Lorenzo shows Viñales pushing hard in the gym as well.
A Valencia Circuit post captured Viñales aboard a Yamaha street bike near the track’s riding school. He will continue with the Tech3 KTM squad for the 2026 season, alongside Enea Bastianini.
During the first half of 2025, Viñales was KTM’s leading rider, and his preferred settings were eventually adopted by the other factory riders. He did redeem a podium at the Qatar Grand Prix, though a tyre-pressure penalty later dropped him to 14th.
After the season, Viñales announced the recruitment of Jorge Lorenzo, a three-time MotoGP champion, as his rider coach. In a recent podcast, Lorenzo commented that even riders with less natural talent have fought for titles in the premier class, suggesting there was no reason he couldn’t help Viñales do likewise. Lorenzo also described Viñales as one of the toughest opponents he faced in his career.
Note: Lewis joined Crash.net as a staff writer in August 2024, bringing five years of MotoGP reporting experience from the Motorsport Network to the team.
