Maverick Vinales will return to action at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix after a three-month hiatus due to injury, Tech3 KTM has announced.
The Spaniard has received clearance from doctors to fly to Japan and make his competitive return in time for the 16th round of the 2026 MotoGP season.
This would mark Vinales’ first competitive outing since he was sidelined due to complications arising from his previous shoulder injury at the German Grand Prix on 12 July.
The 10-time grand prix winner had already completed several laps on the KTM RC16 in last week’s Pirelli test at the Red Bull Ring to prepare for his expected comeback.
“I’m really happy to finally say that I’m coming back to racing. The last few months have been a long process, and I’ve worked hard every day to get to this point,” Vinales said on Monday.
“I’m not at 100% yet, but I’m on the right path, and I feel ready to take this next step. Motegi will be about building things up step by step, understanding where I am physically and getting my feeling back on the bike.
“I want to especially thank everyone at the Red Bull APC [Athlete Performance Centre] and my doctors for all their work and support throughout my recovery. I can’t wait to be back on the bike and racing again.”
Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Vinales has been battling for fitness ever since he broke his shoulder during a qualifying session at the Sachsenring in 2025. After missing several races last year following an initial surgery, Vinales had high hopes from the new season, only to suffer a disastrous start to the campaign in the early flyaways.
Doctors performed a corrective operation on his shoulder to remove a loose screw, allowing him to return to action in Barcelona after missing three rounds, but he again failed to show speed on his initial comeback.
The situation prompted Vinales to take another layoff after the summer break, missing the last four rounds to prepare for a definitive comeback.
While he is still not fully fit, Vinales aims to use the Motegi weekend to gradually rebuild his strength and end his two-year contract with Tech3 on a high.
“We are very happy to confirm that Maverick will be back with us in Japan,” said team manager Nicolas Goyon. “Since the beginning of this process, our priority has been to support his recovery and make sure that he returned when he was ready, rather than rushing the process.
“It has been a longer road than we initially expected, but Maverick has worked extremely hard throughout his rehabilitation, and it is great to now see him ready to return to the grid.
“We know that coming back after such a long period away will take some time, so we will support Maverick throughout the weekend and allow him to rebuild his rhythm step by step.
“At the same time, it is fantastic for the whole team to have our full rider line-up back together, and we are looking forward to getting back to work with Maverick in Motegi.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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