Viñales says KTM contract cuts his pay after three missed races

Tech3 rider Maverick Viñales said he is going through a difficult period because of a left shoulder injury, and that a clause in his contract is one reason he keeps racing. Speaking at Phillip Island over the weekend, the Spaniard explained that his salary is cut if he stays away from races.

Viñales has still not returned to full fitness since a crash at Sachsenring in 2025. He has missed several races this season and was uncompetitive in Australia, pulling out of the Phillip Island sprint after only seven laps. He said racing in that state makes little sense to him because he does not want to finish behind and feels very poor, but staying at home means no pay.

Injury clause in the KTM contract

Viñales also outlined the clause in his KTM contract. According to the rider, he is free to miss three races, but payments start to be deducted from the fourth. He recalled that he was injured while riding for KTM in a Q1 session and said signed contracts are binding.

Cost of the Indonesia and Japan rounds

The Tech3 rider said the back-to-back weekends in Indonesia and Japan were very hard on him. He returned with bursitis and fluid in the shoulder, and said his ligaments were badly worn. Recovery took about a week. Viñales said his arm needs a suitable workload and that he pushed it too hard there.

At Phillip Island the idea of a riders' union also came back into discussion. Viñales said clauses that impose financial penalties on riders who cannot race because of injury should be among the union's priorities. He said riders should press hard on the issue because the sport is risky and injuries are frequent. Viñales also noted that Toprak Razgatlıoğlu recently crashed and will miss six races.