Pol Espargaro believes Motegi would be the perfect venue for Maverick Vinales to make his MotoGP comeback. The KTM test rider has filled in for Vinales at Tech3 KTM for the past four races, including last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix.
Vinales has been sidelined since July's German MotoGP to seek further treatment for his long-standing left shoulder injury. He is now reportedly close to returning, having set competitive lap times on adapted 1000cc machinery during Monday's Pirelli test at the Red Bull Ring.
However, no official decision has been made on whether he will race at Motegi this weekend. Espargaro himself admitted he will not travel to the flyaway races, instead focusing on developing KTM's new 850cc machine for 2027.
“I don't think I'm going to do the overseas races. I had the feeling that I was about to do this one [at Red Bull Ring], and here I am. But in Japan, we feel that Maverick is getting closer to the place to race. If he's not there, it's because this GP is very important for the factory and they really want someone on the bike ready to race,” Espargaro said, as quoted by Crash.net.
“Maverick maybe he will need some time to go back to his normal speed. So Japan would be perfect for him. Overseas, and it's going to be a good track to come back,” he added.
Espargaro finished 16th in Austria, a disappointing result but one that still provided valuable data for KTM. He will now switch to a testing role for the 850cc project that will be used from 2027. He described this period as the most important phase of the new bike's development.
“Now it's starting the most important moment of the year for the 2027 development. We have a couple of tests while the overseas races are on, and it's very important to do them. So if I need to go to Japan and then miss a test, it would be super painful for the project,” he explained.
Vinales, who doesn't have a seat on the 2027 grid, was reportedly the fastest among riders using adapted 1000cc machinery in the Pirelli test. His return at Motegi would be a positive signal for Tech3 KTM, who are fighting for points in the constructors' standings.
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