‘We need Pol on the 850’: Why KTM “don’t enjoy” Maverick Vinales’ MotoGP absence

Pol Espargaro is entering his second MotoGP race in place of Maverick Vinales this weekend at Aragon, but that doesn’t necessarily suit KTM.

Espargaro has been a valuable asset to KTM since he left MotoGP on a full-time basis at the end of 2023. As a test rider he’s been able to bring pace to the KTM test team that even a rider like Dani Pedrosa – who retired almost eight years ago – would struggle to match when performance-testing new components, and has been able to fill in for injured riders on several occasions with solid competency.

It was Pol Espargaro who first replaced Vinales when the 2013 Moto3 world champion injured his shoulder in Germany last July, and it’s been Espargaro who has jumped into the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team again at Silverstone and Aragon this year to fill the gap left by him as he continues to endure this current injury crisis.

But with MotoGP’s technical revolution coming in 2027, Espargaro’s time might be better spent – from a KTM perspective – dedicated to testing the 850cc machine that will debut at a grand prix in little more than six months.

For Pit Beirer, therefore, there is an obvious desire to have Vinales back on the second Tech3 RC16 as soon as possible so Espargaro can return to his testing duties, but even the KTM motorsport director himself is clear when that will be possible.

“It’s so sad that first it took [Vinales’ shoulder] so long to heal, then the screw was coming out and irritated some other pieces,” Pit Beirer said of the Vinales situation, speaking to the MotoGP world feed broadcast during FP2 at Aragon.

“Now there is another ligament injured and nobody can tell me at the moment when this happened, if it came from another crash or if it was there from the beginning – I really don’t know. 

“The fact is he has another injury, and we said ‘As long as he’s not fit, he’s not riding the bike’; it doesn’t help, not him and not us. 

“We are waiting for Maverick to be back. He is one of us and we want him back. 

“I’m so happy Pol [Espargaro] is jumping in, we all know this positive guy when he’s jumping in the project. 

“Also we need him to continue working on the 850cc. So, [...] we don’t enjoy having Pol here and having Maverick at home – we need Maverick here and Pol in the test programme.”