Maverick Viñales meets fans in Spielberg – despite a difficult situation

The MotoGP season is currently on its summer break until the British Grand Prix (7–9 August). Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider Maverick Viñales recently used the break from racing to attend a special event at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg – under rather remarkable circumstances.

The Spaniard took part in the popular ‘Go with your Pro’ event series. Participants in this exclusive programme are given the opportunity, as part of a special Red Bull Ring package, to take to the track alongside a MotoGP rider and pick up valuable first-hand tips.

For Viñales, the visit to Spielberg was anything but routine. With the relationship between the Spaniard and KTM having cooled noticeably of late, the fan event took on added significance. Before the summer break, Viñales had publicly criticised the manufacturer’s approach. KTM’s Head of Motorsport, Pit Beirer, subsequently sought to put the situation into perspective. Regardless of this, there are growing signs that Viñales and KTM will part ways at the end of the season.

However, there was hardly any sign of this during his appearance in Spielberg. The 26-time Grand Prix winner took plenty of time for the participants, demonstrated the ideal line on an Ohvale pit bike at the Riding Centre, and gave the amateur riders numerous tips on riding technique. He patiently made himself available for chats, photos and autographs.

On the sporting front, however, the season has been disappointing for Viñales so far. After the first half of the season, he has only ten World Championship points to his name. His best result was 11th place at the Barcelona Grand Prix.

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Incidentally, MotoGP rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu has also been a guest at the Red Bull Ring this season as part of the ‘Go with your Pro’ programme.