Maverick Vinales has taken to social media to dismiss reports that his Tech3 KTM MotoGP team is looking to drop him mid-season.
Vinales has been increasingly unhappy over contract uncertainty with KTM, which came after his struggle for results since a shoulder injury suffered in a crash at the Sachsenring last year.
Prior to the injury, Vinales had been the best-performing KTM and expected to step up to the factory team for the 2027 regulations change.
However, KTM elected against signing Vinales after his difficulties on his injury return, instead opting for Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez for next year.
The move led to tensions in the Vinales camp and he has been increasingly unsettled over a lack of contract negotiations for 2027 – even suggesting that if he wasn’t on the grid next year it was “because of one culprit, KTM,” in Brno.
Reports in Spain are now suggesting that Vinales could be dropped by Tech3 KTM before the end of the season, given his comments to the media and general attitude towards the project.
Pol Espargaro, who replaced Vinales after his shoulder surgery last year, was rumoured to be the choice to take over as a replacement rider if the split did happen.
Vinales, however, took to social media to quash the rumours, hitting back at “stupid articles” written about his future.
“I start to read articles without sense. Last week I’ve been in the APC centre, and we start to understand why I’m not able to recover,” Vinales wrote on Instagram.
“I’m contrasting all this information with my doctors to check if this is the problem and what is the way to improve.
“Stop writing stupid articles about me, I will not race in SBK, and I will finish the year as my contract says.”
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