Maverick Vinales has compared his current contractual dispute with KTM to the complicated relationship he had with Yamaha, stating that MotoGP teams have often pushed him to the limit. The rider, who has won ten races in the championship, expressed his frustration with how KTM has managed his contractual situation, placing the responsibility on the Austrian manufacturer for jeopardizing his future in the competition.
Before the German Grand Prix this weekend, Vinales revealed that he had signed an extension of his contract until 2027, but shortly after was informed that the agreement was no longer valid. In statements after Friday’s practice session at Sachsenring, the Spanish rider recalled difficult moments from his separation with Yamaha, which occurred in 2021.
Yamaha fired Vinales mid-season after he allegedly attempted to damage the engine of his bike at the Styrian Grand Prix. Furthermore, he had agreed to leave the team a year before his contract expired, an event that culminated in the infamous incident at the Red Bull Ring.
Vinales stated: ‘What I said on Thursday is basically the truth of the situation and what has happened. I don’t want to hide the truth because it’s the same as what happened with Yamaha. A lot of people start saying that I have mental issues. No, I don’t.’
According to the rider, the real problem lies in the pressure teams exert on him. ‘They know very well that if I feel the team is giving their all for me, I will do the same for them. But when they leave me out, for me, that’s it. I need to feel valued by the project and by the team. That’s why I have always said that I am very happy with the engineers, because they give me the value I need.’
KTM has made it clear that they want to wait for Vinales to recover from his shoulder injury to assess his true level of performance. The brand’s motorsport director, Pit Beirer, commented during Friday’s practice session that negotiations had only stopped after discovering that the available spot was with the satellite team and not with the factory team.
Moreover, Beirer opened the door to Vinales continuing with the KTM satellite team next year, as long as he manages to recover. However, the rider admitted that he does not expect to stay on the grid next year, and his immediate focus is to fully recover and return to his best form after the summer break.
‘I don’t know if it’s still an open door or not. We will see. After everything that has happened, it’s hard to find a light to move forward. What I really want is to forget all this and try to be positive, coming back stronger after the summer. For me, summer is the time when I can come back, free myself, and do the best I can. I need to insist to try to return to the level that I know I can have,’ he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
