Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Maverick Vinales has admitted that his persistent shoulder injury is failing to show significant improvement, forcing him to undergo additional medical scans this week following a demanding race weekend.
The Spanish rider sustained a complicated shoulder injury following a heavy crash during last year's German Grand Prix, battling the lingering aftereffects throughout the ongoing campaign. Vinales previously underwent surgery earlier this year and was forced to sit out four consecutive races after the summer break upon the discovery of a muscle tear at the injury site.
During the recent Qatar Grand Prix weekend at the Lusail International Circuit, Vinales confessed that he was seriously contemplating withdrawing from Sunday's main race due to his physical limitations preventing him from riding at an optimal level. Although he managed to persevere and cross the finish line in 13th place, the Spaniard suffered heavily from arm pump as his body attempted to overcompensate for the underlying shoulder weakness.
Reflecting on the grueling physical ordeal, Vinales detailed the extent of his struggles inside the Tech3 garage. "Very tough," Vinales said. "I had to use my right arm a lot and started to get arm pump, but I’m happy to finish the race and also to keep a good rhythm, which I wasn’t really expecting. I tried to go forward, but it was complicated. I will go to the doctor’s this week to make some scans and to see why this condition is not improving."
With no confirmed race seat secured for the upcoming 2027 season, the final rounds in Portugal and Valencia are widely anticipated to mark the final chapters of his storied Grand Prix career. However, these ongoing physical setbacks have cast severe doubt over whether he will even be physically capable of lining up on the grid for the remaining races.
Following Saturday's sprint race in Qatar, a visibly dejected Vinales openly questioned the psychological toll of forcing himself through the pain barrier. "There's no point in continuing like this; I'm only hurting myself mentally. It's just going around in circles. I'm starting to find it hard to stand not going fast because of my physical condition. I don't know what's better, whether to stop completely or keep going around aimlessly. What I want is to stop and get back to 100%, which I doubt will happen this year," he stated.
Vinales recently acknowledged that his decision to keep racing despite the excruciating pain was largely driven by a KTM contract stipulation that penalizes him financially for any further missed rounds. Read our in-depth analysis and stay up to speed with the latest paddock news on Sportrik.com.
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