Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Friday, March 27, 2026 10:41 p.m. / Updated Friday, March 27, 2026 10:44 p.m.
Just minutes before the start of official practice for the United States Grand Prix, the Tech3 KTM team announced that Maverick ViNales will not participate in the third race weekend of the 2026 MotoGP season.
The reason for this decision of the Spaniard is the discomfort he feels in his left shoulder, which Vinales injured in the German Grand Prix last July. Due to this injury, the Tech3 KTM rider has missed a total of eight races in 2025, but has been fully involved in this year's pre-season training.
Maverick Vinales has retired from the United States Grand Prix
During the tests, the Spaniard repeatedly stated that he feels excellent and does not feel any discomfort. However, this changed once the races started, with Vinales visibly unable to drive to his full potential, failing to score a single point in the first two weekends of the season.
Since last week, in Brazil, it was circulated that the Spaniard could end up on the reserve bench again, which is what happened. This difficult decision was made after it was found that one of the screws implanted in Vinales' shoulder last summer had dislodged.
Maverick Vinales retired from the United States Grand Prix // photo: Imago Images
Now the Tech3 KTM rider will return to Europe where he is scheduled for another surgery. His hope is to recover in time for the Spanish Grand Prix, which will take place in a month's time at the Jerez circuit.
