Back from a forced absence, due to his injury at the Sachsenring, there are still doubts for Maverick Viñales' return in Austria: the first is regarding the check-ups he has to undergo to be able to face the race weekend; the second is related to his physical condition on a MotoGP bike, "a different beast," he commented to reporters. Since the beginning of the season, the Spanish rider has been among the first to figure out how to make the most of the potential of his new KTM, but he had to forgo the Brno round, a circuit where the Mattighofen-based manufacturer brought home two fine results, thanks to Acosta's prowess, on the podium on both Saturday and Sunday. These results that have thrown fuel on the fire of Maverick's competitiveness, as he's now trying to recover and compete again like before the injury.
"I'm fine. This afternoon, I'll undergo a medical check-up," Viñales began. It's been five weeks since the injury and everything is going according to plan. Unfortunately, these injuries have a long course. We're talking maybe sixteen weeks to heal one hundred percent, so being here is already a victory. Obviously, I'm here to test myself, regain feeling with the bike. Everything will depend on the test this afternoon even if I feel ready to pass it. It's a weekend to be approached intelligently, but I'm happy to be back. I think I can be fast but, right now, the best tool will be mental strength. I'll try to stay positive. and I'm also happy for the team. They had a great weekend in Brno. The mood has changed. This gives me a lot of motivation to recover as soon as possible."
How did you experience the forced absence in Brno?
"There are things you have no control over. On what I do instead have it over, I've been working around the clock to get back in shape as soon as possible. The team's results in Brno were great fuel for me and great motivation.It's positive for the project and, when you're home, you have a chance to observe and understand some things. So I am quite optimistic, although recovery will still be long."
Physically, how do you feel?
"I feel really good. I had a whole month to myself, and my family, so I feel one hundred percent. It's more about time, especially for mobility. I know I can compensate for strength using other parts of the body, but mobility is another matter, and my shoulder is one of the most complicated points, but that's normal. When my shoulder came out ,they had to put stitches, so now I'm a bit stiff, but I feel good. I also did some laps on the bike and everything seemed normal, but the MotoGP is a completely different beast, so we'll see how it goes."
What do you think about stability control in the MotoGP?
"In my case, it was a gas-related fall. In that situation, the stability control does nothing. It was one of the typical falls wuen wet, when the tire isn't yet up to temperature, and I'm pushing beyond the limit. These are things that can happen. Obviously, the feeling now is that I have to climb the mountain again, but that's okay, it's not the first time it's happened to me, and I'm really motivated to get back to the top again."
This is your first major injury in a few years.
"The last one was during the covid period, so I had a lot of time to recover and, even then, we didn't know if we would race. So yes it's something new, but it's just a matter of keeping the right mental attitude, and it's a chance to come back and become a better rider and person. Maybe, I don't see it, yet, now but, in a few months, I think it'll be like that. This is also a learning year on the KTM. I'm learning a lot here, and also observing from the outside helps a lot to understand the direction to take."