Injured Maverick Vinales “evaluating his options”, “Unbelievable bad luck for Tech3”

Maverick Vinales will miss the remainder of the German MotoGP after sustaining a dislocated and fractured shoulder in a violent highside during Saturday’s wet qualifying session at the Sachsenring.

The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider had just progressed from Q1 into the pole-position shootout, but crashed on his out-lap at Turn 4 - the same corner that later claimed Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller in a near-identical incident.

Although Maverick Vinales was able to walk away, initial checks at the circuit confirmed a dislocation in his left shoulder, which was immediately put back in place at the track.

Suspecting a small fracture, doctors sent Vinales to a local hospital, where the break was confirmed.

The injury leaves Tech3 without a rider on the MotoGP grid this weekend, with team-mate Enea Bastianini already sidelined following appendicitis.

Vinales: “High chances to be on the front row”

“I have pain, of course, but I am feeling good overall,” said Vinales, who watched the race from the Tech3 garage.

“Most importantly, I am really disappointed because we don't get to see the end of our weekend here, and what we could have achieved.

“We were really fast this morning, P2 in FP2, we made it from Q1 to Q2, and I think that we had high chances to be on the front row, which is what we are aiming to achieve.

“I know it is coming, so we need to keep believing, and keep pushing.”

Goyon: “Unbelievable bad luck for Tech3”

“Unbelievable bad luck for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team this weekend,” said team manager Nicolas Goyon. 

“We arrived in Germany with hopes because the KTM is normally performing well at the Sachsenring.

“We first understood that Enea Bastianini was going to miss out on this round due to appendicitis forcing him to stay in hospital, so all eyes were focused on Maverick Vinales.

“He missed [the top] by nothing on Friday, but we knew he had the pace, and the weather conditions could be game-changing.

“He did a solid Q1 to go through to Q2, but unfortunately he then crashed and injured his left shoulder. He has a small fracture which forces him to be out for the rest of the weekend."

Ligament damage to the shoulder means surgery is a possibility.

“Now, he is evaluating his options to recover, and we will have to wait a bit to understand our situation more," Goyon added.

"With no rider fit to race, we will sadly have no bike on the grid tomorrow.

“We wish both Enea and Maverick a speedy recovery, and we really hope to have them back with us as soon as possible.”

While Bastianini has a chance of being fit for next weekend’s Czech Grand Prix at Brno, the final event before the MotoGP summer break, the shoulder damage suffered by Vinales means he is expected to be replaced by KTM test rider Pol Espargaro.

VR46's Franco Morbidelli was also sent for hospital checks on Saturday, after being diagnosed with a 'severe contusion to the left collarbone' during the Sprint race.

Depending on the outcome of the examinations, Sunday's grid could be reduced to just 18 riders.