Viñales on the Verge of Quitting MotoGP: KTM Tells a Very Different Story of the Split

• Viñales says KTM sent him a contract by email after the Italian Grand Prix, which he signed — only for it to be declared void two weeks later.
• For 2027, KTM’s factory team lines up Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio. That would leave only a seat at Tech3 for Viñales.
• Beirer says the open seat had been reserved until this very weekend. The decision is expected to fall at the Sachsenring.

The dispute between Maverick Viñales and KTM broke into the open around the German Grand Prix. At the Sachsenring, the Spaniard described how a planned factory contract turned into a break, and hinted that he could walk away from motorcycle racing altogether after this season. KTM sees the sequence of events differently. Motorsport director Pit Beirer pushed back against the accusations and made clear that a seat had been kept open for Viñales until the very end. That leaves two very different versions of the same story standing side by side.

What does Maverick Viñales accuse KTM of?

Viñales accuses KTM of sending him a contract and declaring it void two weeks later. According to his account, he first learned from the media that Di Giannantonio would take his seat in the factory team. When he arrived at the Italian Grand Prix in Mugello, KTM then reportedly sent him a contract by email.

He signed it even though the terms were poor from his point of view. “I really believe in the engineers who are at KTM. That’s why I signed it, even though it really went against my own interest. And after two weeks they said this contract was completely void,” Viñales said. He views this as a breach of trust and as not a serious way of doing business. Asked whether he has spoken with KTM management since, he replied: “No, not anymore. I think last week were the final terms. After that I haven’t spoken to them anymore.”

How does KTM describe the situation?

KTM disputes this account and says a seat remains open. Beirer acknowledged that Viñales’ disappointment is understandable, since the factory promotion originally planned for him did not materialize. He left the specific accusation about the contract uncommented.

Speaking to journalists, Beirer explained that KTM had originally wanted to bring Viñales to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, but his injury prevented that plan. The team gave him a full year to return to one hundred percent on the bike, a point he has still not reached. The only reason KTM, together with Tech3, had not yet confirmed riders for 2027 was a seat kept open for Viñales. Beirer described the situation as something that had somehow gone terribly wrong. KTM had told Viñales there was a seat for him, without being able to say exactly where or in what role. That this seat could be at Tech3 apparently wasn’t something Viñales saw as an option. Beirer stressed that KTM never sent the Spaniard away, that the seat remains open, but that time is running out for everyone involved. He named this race weekend as the deadline.

Why did Viñales miss out on the factory seat?

Viñales lost the factory seat because his form failed to return after his long injury layoff, and KTM opted for two other riders instead. For the 2027 season, the manufacturer signed Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, both arriving from Ducati.

According to Beirer, the door to the factory team was already opened last summer. At the time, Viñales had assured them not to worry about his health, that he would be back for his comeback in Spielberg. Since then, KTM had waited week after week for his old form to return. By the time the opportunity arose to sign Alex Marquez and Di Giannantonio, Viñales was far from his previous level. KTM continues to describe the remaining seat as a factory seat, since both teams together are counted as four factory seats. Once Viñales learned that this wasn’t the seat in the official team, things finally went wrong from KTM’s point of view.

What does Tech3 boss Günther Steiner say?

Günther Steiner is staying out of the dispute, pointing out that it is a KTM contract. The Tech3 CEO stresses that he wasn’t involved in this contract matter and has never seen the document. Viñales and his teammate are contracted directly to KTM, with the agreements dating back to before Steiner’s group took over the team.

“I’m not even trying, because I have nothing to do with his contract. It’s a KTM contract,” Steiner said. He doesn’t even want to see the contract, since it’s none of his business. At the same time, he considers further cooperation with Viñales difficult, since a dispute fought out in public damages the foundation, and Tech3 will keep working with KTM going forward. For 2027, Steiner is planning a fresh start without what he calls old baggage. For the same reason, Brad Binder is also not an option for him. From 2027, Tech3 wants to sign its riders directly itself. A final decision, however, has not yet been made.

Who will ride for Tech3 in 2027?

Luca Marini is considered the favorite for the experienced seat at Tech3, while the second seat is expected to go to a rookie. Senna Agius and Manuel Gonzalez are being touted as candidates. Marini carries a reputation for technical strength from his time at Honda, though according to Steiner a contract has not yet been signed.

Viñales’ current teammate is expected to move to Trackhouse Aprilia. These personnel questions fall into a period of upheaval, as 2027 marks the start of MotoGP’s new era with 850cc engines. Fitting that picture, Viñales was absent from the first official 850cc test in Brno. The case thus fits into the broader context of the rider market for next season, where only a few seats remain open after the moves at Ducati, KTM and Aprilia.

What does the 2025 injury mean for his future?

The consequences of his serious injury weigh so heavily that Viñales is even considering ending his career. Exactly one year ago, he crashed at the Sachsenring during qualifying on a wet track in a highside, dislocating his shoulder and suffering a fracture as well. To this day he has not fully recovered, and this season he was only able to start eleven races, collecting ten championship points.

The crash may have cost him the chance to become the first rider to win a MotoGP race for four different manufacturers. Viñales has been racing in the premier class since 2015, first for Suzuki, Yamaha and Aprilia, most recently for Tech3-KTM. In total he has ten wins, finished third in the championship twice, and was Moto3 world champion in 2013. After the events with KTM, he says he feels “burned out” by this world, and doesn’t believe he will continue. At the same time, he pushed back against suggestions that he was dealing with mental health issues, as happened during his split with Yamaha in 2021. He needs to feel valued for a project, he says, and then he gives everything. Despite the frustration, he wants to come back strong after the summer break and get the most out of the second half of the season. In first free practice at the Sachsenring, despite a crash, he was the fastest of the four RC16 riders in eleventh place.

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