Maverick Viñales will miss the Portuguese GP

Still suffering from a shoulder injury, Maverick Viñales will be replaced by Pol Espargaro at KTM Tech3 for the Portuguese Grand Prix, the twenty-first round of the 2025 season. MotoGPThe Spaniard, who has already withdrawn from the Indonesian, Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix due to intense pain, has decided to miss another round of the calendar, as the discipline makes its return to Europe.

The pilot has chosen to focus more on his recovery and rehabilitation, to "to have an extra week of recovery" Away from the saddle of his KTM RC16, he is trying to strengthen his left shoulder. While the chances of seeing him back on a MotoGP bike this season are slim, the team and the rider are giving themselves time to believe in a return for the season finale in Valencia on the weekend of November 16th.

Pol Espargaro at Tech3

Pol Espargaro will thus take over once again this season. “Honestly, I didn’t expect to have to replace Maverick again. But I understand it’s the best decision for his full recovery as soon as possible.” confides the person concerned. That's what's most important for the KTM project. As I always say, it's part of my job as a test rider. I'll try again to be as helpful as possible to the factory and the other riders. We worked last week in Jerez, so let's see if we can continue to gather positive feedback to improve our bike. This circuit is, in a way, special for me. The last time I raced there, things didn't end well, so I see this weekend as a challenge. In any case, I'm really looking forward to it. 

He already replaced Viñales in the Czech Republic and Hungary, where he finished 10th and 8th respectively in the Grand Prix races. The Spaniard then returned for the Indonesian and Malaysian Grands Prix, finishing the first of the two in 10th place. Aleix's younger brother has also been heavily involved with KTM in both official and private tests, and has therefore not lost his competitive edge.

ALSO READ > Why the Portuguese GP schedule could help Fabio Quartararo