Will Vinales race in Aragon? Stand-in Pol Espargaro has his bags packed

What the nearly four-week summer break failed to achieve will be sorted out during the two-week break between Round 12 in England and Round 13 at MotorLand Aragon. According to the teams, the time is now ripe for Fermin Aldeguer to make a comeback with Gresini-Ducati, as well as – sooner than expected – for veteran Johann Zarco with LCR-Honda. Both the young Spaniard and former champion Zarco spoke enthusiastically and with visible motivation about their recent training sessions on the circuit.

This could mean the premier class is back to full strength for the first time, were it not for the case of Maverick Viñales. The KTM Tech3 rider has been fluctuating between fit to ride and unfit to ride for many months. The combination of an undeniably serious and complex shoulder injury with a sensitive temperament has led to an extraordinary rollercoaster of form, which has remained at its lowest ebb since the Sachsenring.

A mistake at the Sachsenring changed everything

The situation is difficult to understand, even if one looks far back through Vinales’s record. The starting point – the injury itself. In July 2025, Viñales shattered his left shoulder at a time when the team’s motivation to achieve good results was at its peak.

An initial attempt at a comeback after four rounds failed; Viñales took another break after three events and only returned for the finale in Valencia. Curiously, the Catalan did not stand out in the races, but at the crucial test two days later, ‘Top Gun’ astonished everyone with top times ahead of Pedro Acosta.

Two months later, Viñales appeared to be in top form. Yet his lap times did not match the positive atmosphere. The next test in Thailand saw the Tech3 rider once again finish ahead of Acosta. In the Grand Prix, however, he was once again nowhere to be seen. All further attempts to get the team’s main hope back up to speed failed. A year after the crash in Sachsen, he finally lost his way.

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28.08.2026 - 08:55

Maverick Vinales steuerte die MotoGP-KTM zuletzt auf dem Sachsenring

Foto: Gold and Goose

During the summer break, he went from doctor to doctor once more in the hope of regaining the missing percentage of his performance. All of this took place – and continues to take place – against a backdrop of persistent bad atmosphere, as the relationship with a view to 2027 cannot continue in this way. After months of waiting, KTM had to re-direct the Spaniard towards Tech3, contrary to its original plans (works team). This was unacceptable to the Spaniard, who turned down both Tech3 and KTM.

Sensible or pointless?

Nevertheless, both sides emphasise that they want to see the season through together and in a professional manner. Over the past month, it has not been possible to reach a conclusive assessment regarding his fitness to race. Even a week before the Aragon GP, it remains unclear whether it makes sense or not for the team’s regular rider to compete on home soil.

KTM stand-in and test rider Pol Espargaro remains on standby. His last outing in England went well, but Espargaro has been unable to build on the top results he achieved during the first stand-in period. Whether the experienced KTM stand-in will possibly ride out the entire season, or whether Viñales will take the RC16 again – partly to boost his reputation ahead of 2027 – remains uncertain until just before the next event. In any case – the 850cc MotoGP field is set to depart without Maverick Viñales.