Maverick Vinales Still Limited by Shoulder in Germany

Maverick Vinales expects his damaged right shoulder to remain a limiting factor when Red Bull KTM Tech3 contests the 2026 German MotoGP. The Spanish rider believes the summer break will be essential to rebuilding the physical strength still restricting his performance.

Vinales first dislocated the shoulder in Germany last season, beginning a recovery process that has now lasted approximately 12 months and required several operations. His latest procedure took place after the United States Grand Prix before he returned to racing at the Italian MotoGP at Mugello.

Since returning to the grid, Vinales has continued to experience a significant strength imbalance between his right and left shoulders. The sequence of back-to-back races has also reduced his opportunity to complete strengthening exercises because the time between events has largely been required for pain management and physical recovery.

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“The problem is that, with all these races back to back, I cannot train because I need to recover. Especially from Mugello, I was completely destroyed. So, I needed two weeks to recover from Mugello,” Vinales said after the Sprint at TT Circuit Assen.

Vinales went on to finish 13th in the Dutch Grand Prix and believes his physical condition has improved compared with his first race after surgery. The arm-pump problem that severely affected him at Mugello was no longer the primary limitation at Assen, although the lack of strength in his right shoulder remained evident through several parts of the circuit.

According to Vinales, he lost approximately 0.6 seconds through the Turn 6-7 sequence and Turns 13-14. Across the remainder of the lap, he felt his pace was comparable to the leading KTM riders, making his physical condition the main factor preventing him from extracting the motorcycle’s full potential.

“It’s hard because it’s a big difference between right and left shoulders, but I will try with all I have to get back to my level, especially physically. This is my biggest target from here to the end of the season,” he said.

The next round at the Sachsenring will take Vinales back to the venue where the injury initially occurred. With a complete recovery unlikely before the German MotoGP, Tech3’s immediate priority will be managing his physical load and limiting time loss before the summer break provides a longer period for structured strength training.