Maverick Viñales’s future in the MotoGP seems increasingly unlikely to involve KTM. At Assen, the Spanish rider spoke openly about his disappointment, pointing the finger primarily at how the Austrian manufacturer handled communications. What was the breaking point? The test of the future MotoGP 850, which initially seemed destined for him but was instead entrusted to Pedro Acosta, without anyone directly informing him.
“I haven’t heard anything from KTM. After all, they didn’t even let me participate in the test. I think it’s pretty clear what I can infer,” Viñales began.
He then talked about what had happened in the preceding weeks. “I didn’t even asked for it, but, for two weeks, they first told me ‘yes', then ‘no', and, in the end, it was from you guys that I heard the news that Pedro [Acosta] would be testing it. Would it have been so hard to call me and say, ‘You’re not in good physical shape. We’d prefer you not to do it’? It’s true, I’m not at my best, but I can still do a flying lap. Instead, no one called me nor explained anything, even though, two weeks earlier, they told me the test would be mine. With incidents like this, I think the message is pretty clear.”
But the final jab was even harsher. “I found out all the news through you reporters. No one told me anything. No one took me aside to explain how things really stood. If I end up having to leave the World Championship, there's only one party to blame... KTM.”
What's going to happen if no calls?
"I don’t see myself out of the World Championship just yet. But, if it were to happen, there are a thousand other things to do. It certainly isn’t the end of the world."