When the pain finally recedes, the speed returns. That is the simple truth Maverick Vinales delivered after a stunning turnaround on Friday at the Sepang International Circuit, as Motorsport.com reports. The Tech3 KTM rider cracked the top 10 on a Friday for the first time all year, securing a direct ticket to Q2 at the Malaysian MotoGP in what marks a massive, welcome return to form.
It has been a brutal road for the Spaniard since he first injured his shoulder at the German Grand Prix in 2025. Sidelined for numerous races and struggling to find any rhythm upon his return—including a quiet comeback at the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this month—his fortunes finally shifted in low-grip conditions that suited the machine.
It's been so long that I haven't ridden at a good level that now it's hard suddenly to go very quick.
He wasn't the only one flying on the day, with team-mate Enea Bastianini and factory rider Pedro Acosta also joining him in Q2. But the 31-year-old Vinales made the biggest leap, attributing the breakthrough to a fresh treatment he underwent following the Australian Grand Prix.
"Did some injections trying to reduce the pain," Vinales explained after track action ended. "It's the track and also I think it's the treatment I've been doing after Phillip Island. It's reducing the pain, and when the pain is less, the physical power is more." He added: "When I don't have pain, I gain."
While he is far from completely pain-free, the physical improvement has given him real momentum. The target now is to head into the final two races of the season at Portimao and Valencia completely free of discomfort, convinced he can return to the exact level he showed before the Sachsenring accident.
Despite already losing his grid spot for next season, the Tech3 KTM rider feels confident he can make waves over the remaining 2026 weekends. This machine demands absolute aggression to extract lap time—forcing the rider to wrestle it everywhere—and better physical condition finally allows him to push it properly.
Yet, adapting to riding with less discomfort brought its own hilarious struggle. "I'm fighting with the bike," Vinales admitted. "It's been so long that I haven't ridden at a good level that now it's hard suddenly to go very quick." Even so, he believes there is still more time left on the table once he learns to be more gentle and precise with the beast.
