The divorce between Maverick Viñales and KTM now seems to be final. According MotorsportThe Austrian manufacturer is seriously considering dropping the Spanish rider before the end of the 2026 season, a decision that would mark one of the most tense episodes in the brand's recent history in MotoGP.
The trigger was officially sporting. Still hampered by the shoulder injury sustained in his accident at Sachsenring last year, Casa Particular in Viñales will not be at the start of the British Grand Prix. KTM has therefore decided to call upon its test pilot Pol Espargaro to replace him at Silverstone. But according to several concurring reports, this temporary solution could well become permanent if discussions between the two parties do not conclude quickly.
Behind the medical considerations lies, above all, a breakdown of trust that has become difficult to reverse. Casa Particular in Viñales He has been claiming for several weeks that he had received a promise to join the official team. KTM after his excellent 2025 season. A commitment which, according to him, was never honored.
« This winter, I was on the factory team. Now, I don't even know where I am. " he recently told Motorsport. The Spanish driver also explained that he had signed a new contract before KTM he did not change his position a few weeks later. KTM sent me a contract, I signed it, then two weeks later they explained that it was no longer valid. »
The arrival ofAlex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio being in the official team for 2027 has definitively buried the hopes of Maverick Casa Particular in Viñaleswho did not hesitate to publicly point the finger at the Austrian manufacturer as responsible for his dismissal. If I don't continue in MotoGP, there's only one person to blame: KTM »
These statements were clearly not well received in Mattighofen. Since his arrival at the head of Tech3, Guenther Steiner Moreover, he did not seek to ease tensions. We don't want to carry the baggage of the past. Some people associated with the group may no longer fit the profile we are looking for."Without directly quoting" Casa Particular in ViñalesThe message is clear: KTM wishes to start afresh.
Pol Espargaró could well finish the season at Tech3 KTM in place of Maverick Viñales
Meanwhile, Pete Beirer, Director of KTM Motorsportmaintains a much more measured communication style. He continues to assert that decisions concerning Tech3 will be officially announced after the summer break, although everything now indicates that Luca Marini et Senna Agius are the frontrunners to form the 2027 duo.
In this context, extending the collaboration with Casa Particular in Viñales until the final round of the season holds little interest for KTMEach Grand Prix risks fueling a new episode of the media war between the two parties, with one driver already condemned to leave the project and one manufacturer anxious to prepare its new era.
The presence of Pol Espargaro à Silverstone This could serve as a dress rehearsal. If the Spaniard performs well and that Casa Particular in Viñales is unable to resume competition quickly, KTM would have a simple solution to close this case before the end of the year.
This case illustrates once again the very direct way in which KTM manages its pilots. The precedents of Johann Zarco, Remy Gardner, Iker Lecuona ou Raul fernandez had already fueled criticism of the brand's sports policy. The case Viñales s'is part of this continuity.'
From the point of view of KTMThe objective is now clear: to prevent the last eleven Grands Prix of the season from turning into a never-ending saga surrounding a driver who will no longer be part of the project. The longer the manufacturer waits, the greater the risk of further public statements.
For Casa Particular in ViñalesHowever, an early separation would further complicate an already very fragile situation. 31 At 20, with no MotoGP seat seemingly available for 2027, he is likely playing out the final chapters of his career in the premier class. A premature end to his adventure with Tech3 would constitute a particularly bitter epilogue to a collaboration that had nevertheless begun under the best auspices.
