Maverick Viñales announced at the KTM/Tech3 KTM 2026 launch that he has hired three-time champion Jorge Lorenzo as his performance coach, a formal partnership built to turn Viñales’s clear raw pace into a sustained title challenge. Lorenzo’s remit covers technical areas such as throttle management, braking, race-specific preparation and setting concrete, measurable goals; he is expected to join Viñales for testing and early races and has already been working closely with him since being brought in late in the previous season. Viñales said discussions about working together began after his double win at the 2024 Grand Prix of the Americas, though family timing delayed his ability to commit full time, and he described the new relationship as “fantastic.” The hire represents a notable personnel change at Tech3 KTM and a pragmatic reconciliation between two former rivals who have moved from public barbs to a close, performance-focused working relationship.

Viñales also confirmed he has recovered from the Sachsenring shoulder injury that disrupted his 2025 campaign and missed the second half of that season. He reports he has regained weight—up from roughly 61 kg to about 65–67 kg—and that the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center has confirmed his power has returned; he expects to be fully fit for the upcoming Sepang test. Winter work has targeted specific weaknesses: Lorenzo has pushed wet sessions and 600cc training to improve sliding technique and rear-tire use, while Viñales and his engineers have focused on reducing rear shaking and improving cornering. After the first test, Viñales received positive feedback from Pedro Acosta and plans to use the pre-season tests to provide development input and validate measurable progress.

The partnership is presented as both an immediate performance aid and a potential stepping stone toward longer-term moves: Spanish outlet AS reported KTM is prioritizing Viñales as a possible factory signing for 2027 should Pedro Acosta leave. Viñales has emphasized that pure talent isn’t enough and that hard, structured work is required to become a reference point within KTM, with Lorenzo bringing a hands-on coaching approach to convert speed into race-winning consistency. All elements—physical recovery, targeted technical work, hands-on coaching and positive early test feedback—are being marshaled with the explicit aim of turning Viñales’s pace into sustained results for the 2026 season and beyond.

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