– After Silverstone and Aragon, Pol Espargaro will also represent Maverick Vinales in the Tech3-KTM team in Misano. This was confirmed by the racing team. Vinales is still working on the recovery and stability of his left shoulder.
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“Our priority remains to support Maverick in his recovery,” says team manager Nicolas Goyon. “But we are happy to have Pol back with us in Misano.”
“He knows the team very well and has already proven his professionalism and commitment in his last two appearances this season.”
“Returning to MotoGP is never easy, but Pol brings valuable experience. We wish Maverick continued good progress in his recovery and hope to see him back on the track as soon as he is ready.”
Espargaro currently has a tight schedule with race appearances and tests. In the week before the Austrian Grand Prix, a test with the 850cc bike and Pirelli tires is planned in Mugello after Misano.
If he also represents Vinales in Spielberg, he would switch back to the 1,000cc bike with Michelin tires. On the Monday after the race in Austria, another test with the 850cc bike will take place.
Beirer emphasizes: “This is not the end of Vinales at KTM”
That Espargaro has to switch between motorcycles is neither ideal for him nor for the test program for the coming year. Therefore, it would be important for Vinales to return soon.
“He belongs to us, and we want him back,” KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer recently emphasized in Aragon to MotoGP.com. “And I am very glad that Pol is stepping in.”
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“We all know this positive guy: When he gets involved in a project, he brings fire. But we actually need him to continue working on the 850cc bike as well.”
“So it’s not like we’re happy to have Pol here and Maverick at home. We need Maverick here and Pol in the test program. It’s not the perfect scenario.”
However, Vinales will only return when his shoulder allows it. “The fact is: He has another injury, and we said: As long as he is not fit, he will not ride the motorcycle,” says Beirer. “That helps neither him nor us.”
“Therefore, I want to emphasize what Günther [Steiner] said: We are waiting for Maverick to come back. So this is neither the end of Maverick at KTM nor does it have anything to do with the end of his contract.”
“Yes, I mean, it is so sad that this first injury took so long to heal. Then this screw was removed and irritated other areas.”
“When we later asked ourselves during some examinations why he did not regain his old confidence, we found out that another ligament is injured.”
“And at the moment, no one can tell me when that happened, whether it came from another fall or if it was there from the beginning. I really don’t know,” says Beirer. Therefore, it is uncertain when Vinales will be fit enough to return.
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