Pol Espargaró to Replace Maverick Viñales at British Grand Prix

Viñales continues rehabilitation from shoulder injury, while KTM reserve rider Pol Espargaró returns to Red Bull KTM Tech3 for Round 12 at Silverstone.

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Red Bull KTM Tech3 has confirmed that Pol Espargaró will replace Maverick Viñales at this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, as the Spanish rider continues his recovery from a shoulder injury sustained during the 2025 Sachsenring round.

Viñales has endured a difficult rehabilitation process since the accident, with multiple setbacks delaying his return to full fitness. Despite undergoing surgery earlier this year and making steady progress through a structured recovery programme with KTM, Tech3, and medical specialists, the latest medical assessment has ruled him out of Round 12 of the 2026 MotoGP World Championship.

Following further consultations during the summer break and a recent evaluation at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre (APC), the decision was made for Viñales to continue focusing on his rehabilitation rather than return to racing prematurely.

Stepping in to replace him is KTM reserve rider Pol Espargaró, who is no stranger to the Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad. The 2013 Moto2 World Champion made his MotoGP debut with the French outfit in 2014 and competed in 70 premier-class races for the team. Earlier this season, Espargaró also substituted for Viñales during his previous injury absence.

Speaking about his current condition, Viñales revealed that recent medical examinations uncovered another issue that had been limiting his recovery.

“During the summer break, we kept looking for the reason why I wasn’t getting the strength back in external rotation in my left arm, while the internal rotation had a significant improvement over the last few months,” said Viñales.

“Further medical tests showed that, although my supraspinatus has fully healed, I also have a small tear in the infraspinatus that we didn’t realise until last week. We’re now working on the best recovery plan.”

“It’s not the best news, as the second part of the season starts now. I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I will put everything as always into this recovery.”

Espargaró admitted he has mixed emotions about returning to the grid, acknowledging the unfortunate circumstances while expressing his excitement to race again.

“I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I feel sad, it’s never nice to jump on the bike in this situation, when a rider is injured and can’t race, especially when it’s Maverick. That’s a real shame,” Espargaró said.

“On the other hand, racing is in my blood. I’ve been racing all my life, and I miss it so much, so this is a great opportunity for me too. I’ve been with Tech3 my whole career and I feel part of the family, so I always feel comfortable when I go back to this garage.”

The experienced Spaniard also acknowledged that he will need some time to readapt to full-time MotoGP competition, having spent most of his recent track time developing KTM’s RC16 test programme.

“I’ll need a bit of time to adapt back to the category, since I’ve mostly been testing the RC16 for the new project and haven’t been on the 1000cc bike in a while, but after a couple of sessions, I’ll be ready. I’m looking forward to racing and doing my best to get Tech3 some good results.”

Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Manager Nicolas Goyon said the team fully supports Viñales’ recovery while expressing confidence in Espargaró’s ability to step into the seat.

“It’s obviously not the news we wanted to be announcing after the summer break, and the whole team feel very sad for Maverick, but Pol has been part of the Tech3 family for a long time and is for sure the right substitute under these circumstances,” Goyon said.

“We wish Maverick a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the bike at the next race in Aragon.”

Espargaró’s return gives KTM an experienced replacement familiar with both the RC16 and the Tech3 environment, ensuring continuity as the team heads into the second half of the 2026 MotoGP season. Meanwhile, Viñales will continue working towards a full recovery with the aim of returning to action as soon as he receives medical clearance.