KTM Motorsport Director Addresses Vinales Situation
KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer has provided insight into the ongoing situation with Maverick Vinales, revealing that negotiations between the two parties broke down when the Spaniard learned that his potential MotoGP 2027 seat would be at Tech3 rather than the factory team.
Vinales has been vocal in recent weeks, openly blaming KTM for leaving him without a seat next year. He claimed to have signed a contract extension with the Austrian manufacturer, only to later find out it was no longer valid. Beirer responded to these claims by emphasizing the importance of KTM securing Fabio Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez for the factory team when they were still on the rider market. However, he did not mention offering Vinales a firm contract for either of KTM’s two MotoGP teams.
“It's no secret that we had hoped that [Vinales] would be one of the factory riders in the future,” Beirer said during the official MotoGP feed. “Last summer, we were discussing this and opened this door. He told us ‘don't worry for my health, I'm back by Spielberg’. That's where he made his first comeback last year. Since then, we have been waiting week by week to have him in full form.”
Beirer also mentioned that there was a moment when KTM had the chance to secure both Di Giannantonio and Marquez, but Vinales was nowhere near showing that he would return to his previous form. He added that KTM wouldn’t need a better rider than Vinales was exactly a year ago when he suffered a crash in the rain.
Negotiations and Unmet Expectations
Beirer stated that KTM is still willing to keep Vinales within its MotoGP stable, provided he recovers fully. However, discussions stalled due to Vinales’ unwillingness to remain at Tech3 in 2027.
“Things went somehow terribly wrong,” he revealed. “Later on, we told him there will be a space for you but we cannot tell you where and what. It looks like he underestimated that this could also be the team where he is today [Tech3], where he had great performance last year.”
He added that KTM sees both teams as first-class, especially now with Guenther Steiner in charge. Beirer emphasized that waiting to sign a rider was not an option, explaining that KTM was giving Vinales more time to show his readiness.
“We are planning together. So I really feel sorry for the situation because we like Maverick so much, he's such a good boy. I don't know why he says so clearly no to one thing and on the other side gives us such a hard stop. So we have to be clear that it's not a nice situation, but it's definitely not like we told him, ‘please leave’.”
Open Door for Vinales
Despite the challenges, Beirer stressed that the door is still open for Vinales at KTM. He highlighted the importance of having a private conversation during the summer break to ensure Vinales makes a full recovery for the second half of the season.
“We have to calm him down because this is a very long season and we need to get him back in a better mood and still get his full body fitness back because MotoGP is damn dangerous not to be fit and always hesitating on reaction on the bike, so we still need him slightly fitter,” he explained.
Beirer also called for a proper discussion about what happened and why Vinales should consider the opportunity at Tech3. “Let's use the summer break to calm down and maybe restart in a positive way after that.”
Remaining Options and Time Constraints
While Vinales has already conceded his chances of staying in MotoGP next year, Beirer confirmed that the door is still open for the 31-year-old at Tech3. However, he faces a race against time to regain fitness and rediscover his old form.
“I will say everything is open over the whole weekend here, that was our deadline between me and Guenther, where we really want to decide what the future brings,” Beirer said in reference to the German GP.
He reiterated that KTM never said no to Vinales, stating that the target or timing didn’t change due to one emotional talk. “I really want to protect this boy. If he takes this decision, it could be the end of racing for him. So it's very sensitive and he's not just always calm about this.”
Final Thoughts
Beirer concluded by expressing his hope that Vinales will reconsider his position and that the situation can be resolved positively. “The spot is open but time is ticking against us.”
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