The Viñales affair has certainly sparked reactions. As a reminder, "Top Gun" has clashed with KTM and Tech3, believing he was wronged following his injury last year. While he was competing with Pedro Acosta at the start of the 2025 season, he has since experienced a slump. The problem is that at the time, Mattighofen apparently promised him a place on the factory team for 2027, but since then, of course, he has fallen out of favor with the Austrian company due to his results. Ricard Jove, a man known to everyone in the paddock and a famous team manager, looks into the matter.
Jové knows Viñales very well, and knows that he can sometimes be very impulsive. This has been noticeable since his Grand Prix debut. « I'm talking specifically about Maverick, whom I know better.There was an incident… I don't remember the year, but even before the start of the season, and without knowing how it was going to go, a month before the contract presentations, he signed a two-year extension with Yamaha. And I thought to myself: “But the season hasn't even started yet, we don't know how it's going to go.“And indeed, he didn’t even finish those two years. Those rash decisions… it’s a mistake, and Maverick made many hasty decisions that, even today, as I said, are costing him dearly. His anxious or distrustful side is simply resurfacing.” One of the things that made Maverick who he is is his immediate distrust as soon as things get complicated, as soon as the mechanic doesn't give him a high five or the manager doesn't tell him what he wants to hear. I can say this because I've been there. » he stated during the podcast Fast & Curious.
While Ricard Jové readily admits Vinales' weaknesses, he does not spare KTM either. « Now I'm going to criticize KTMI mean, at KTM, I know of many cases – I won't name them, because it could cause trouble for many people – that were very poorly handled. It's a real disasterWe all know of cases and how KTM's abusive contracts have caused problems for many riders. he added. It's bloody.
He rightly points out that during KTM's financial problems, Maverick Vinales proved his loyalty to the company by buying shares. « KTM has practically sold itself to BajajSome were not loyal to the project, and Maverick tried to be loyal in every way possible, through his public statements and by showing that he was still involved, that he was moving the project forward, etc. And according to him, and I believe him, he always received positive feedback: "We're counting on you, you'll be on the factory team." Then came the shoulder problem, the lack of results, the lack of presence, and that's when the nervousness started to set in.And that's where I say, and I say it very clearly, that there's a problem with KTM's management, because it ends badly for many riders." he concluded.
Do you share his observation? Tell us in the comments!
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport