Maverick Vinales may end his Indonesian MotoGP weekend early as he continues to struggle with recovery from a dislocated and fractured left shoulder suffered at the German MotoGP in July. The Tech3 KTM rider’s ability to compete this weekend at Mandalika is uncertain as he weighs the physical toll against his desire to race.
Ongoing Struggles with Shoulder Injury Affect Practice Performance
Vinales returned to racing gradually after his injury, first appearing briefly at the Austrian Grand Prix where he only participated on Friday. He then completed full race weekends in San Marino and Motegi, but the tight schedule has taken its toll. After the initial practice day in Indonesia, Vinales admitted that the pain and lack of strength in his shoulder are making it difficult to continue competing at full capacity.
“It was a very tough day,”
Vinales said following the practice session.
“A lot to analyse. We will talk with the team [to understand] what is the best to do, if to stop and come back when I’m fully fit or to keep going like this. But I think [to] keep going like this is very hard for me because I have pain and I’m losing a lot of feedback from the bike.”
He emphasized the need to be cautious and strategic in his recovery approach:
“So, we must be very smart and see what is the best way to recover fast.”
Decision Pending on Continuing or Withdrawing from Indonesian GP
Vinales has not ruled out pulling out of the race weekend but remains conflicted due to his passion for riding. He explained:
“I’m not sure because I want to be on the bike, but we need to talk with the medical staff and everyone to see what is the best.”
Earlier in the week, Vinales reported improvement in shoulder strength but noted limited mobility. However, after the Friday practices, he clarified that physical strength gains are currently stagnant and that he is losing ground particularly on challenging sections of the track.
“I’m not improving now in terms of strength,”
he stated.
“Basically, this track that is very challenging in change of direction I’m very slow, and then I lose from turn five to nine I lose one second [compared to my] teammate.”
Bike Performance Better Despite Physical Limitations
Despite his physical discomfort, Vinales observed that his KTM RC16 handled better in Indonesia than it had in Japan, where he had trouble with rear-end vibrations. He commented, “Much better here,” and added:
“The grip is much higher, the bike is working better. It looks like in Motegi we were suffering a lot with low grip.”
Physical Condition Key to Regaining Speed and Competitiveness
Where Vinales does not feel hampered physically, he is still able to ride quickly. “It’s [the bike] working good,” he explained.
“The corners I’m feeling normal I’m quite fast. So, for me it’s a matter of getting back to my physical condition, the rest is fine.”
How Vinales and the Tech3 team proceed will likely depend on discussions with medical staff in the coming days. The priority remains balancing his health with his competitive drive, with the hope of returning to full strength for upcoming races. The outcome of this decision could influence Vinales’ trajectory in the MotoGP season as he continues his recovery journey.
