Tech3 rider Maverick Vinales says KTM will be solely responsible if he is forced out of MotoGP next season, claiming the manufacturer failed to communicate its plans while limiting his options elsewhere.
The 10-time grand prix winner is still in the dark about his future in MotoGP, with KTM having made it clear that it would like to see how he would perform when he is fully fit before offering him another deal to continue at Tech3.
Matters are complicated by the fact that nearly all teams on the grid have already firmed up their line-ups for next year, with the rider market having moved at pace ahead of the start of MotoGP’s 850cc era.
KTM also holds an option on Vinales through to the end of June, limiting his ability to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
Speaking at Assen about his contract situation, Vinales said the Mattighofen-based marque should have given him the freedom to find another seat as soon as it abandoned its original plan to promote him to the factory team.
“The group’s plan was for me to be on the factory team. So, whatever they tell me… Believe it or not,” he said.
“It’s tough. I don’t see myself outside the world championship. If I do leave here, there are a thousand other paths to take; it’s not the end of the world. Ultimately, if I’m not in the world championship, it’ll be because of one party, and that’s KTM – it’s not anyone else’s fault.
Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
“When the time came, if they already knew I wouldn’t be joining the factory team, they should have just let me go – plain and simple. I’ll figure things out on my own.
“I found out about all of this from the press, not from anyone else. No one has sat me down and explained how things would play out. So, if I end up leaving the world championship, there will be only one person to blame – it’s crystal clear.”
Pirelli organised a special test on Monday after the Czech GP, giving contracted riders a chance to sample 850cc bikes and the Italian manufacturer’s 2027 tyre range for the first time.
Each manufacturer was allowed to enter two riders each, but curiously, KTM opted for Ducati-bound Pedro Acosta and a combination of Pol Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa.
Vinales said he sees his absence from the Pirelli test as another proof that he will not be retained by KTM next year.
“No, there’s no news. But KTM didn’t call me to do Monday’s test in Brno either, so I think it’s pretty clear what I can gather,” he said.
Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
“Do I see myself leaving as of today? The fact that they didn’t let me do the test doesn’t make sense either in terms of [being able to] stay. After all, if I was one of the few riders who was going to stay [with the same team], I could have tested the 850cc bike – and they didn’t let me test it.
“I didn’t ask to test the bike; they kept me in the dark for two weeks about whether I’d test it or not, and in the end, I found out from the press that Pedro Acosta would be testing it. It would have been as simple as calling me and telling me.
“Okay, physically I’m not in good shape, but I think I could still put in a fast lap. But they didn’t tell me anything either – they didn’t call to tell me about Acosta when, two weeks earlier, they’d called to say I’d be the one testing it. With things like this, it’s pretty clear to me.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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