Rider Profile
2026 Season Snapshot
- Position
- 22
- Points
- 10
- Grand Prix starts
- 8
- Grand Prix wins
- 0
- Grand Prix podiums
- 0
- Pole positions
- 0
Sprint wins: 2Sprint podiums: 6
From junior-class champion to a first win with Suzuki
Maverick Viñales is a Spanish rider who won junior titles before entering the 125cc world championship in 2011, taking four victories in his rookie season. He became Moto3 world champion in 2013 and won four more races during his only full Moto2 season in 2014, then moved to MotoGP with Suzuki in 2015.
At the British Grand Prix in 2016, he took his first MotoGP Grand Prix victory. Progress through the junior classes followed by a premier-class breakthrough with Suzuki laid the foundation for his subsequent move to Yamaha’s factory team.
Grand Prix victories with three manufacturers
After joining Yamaha in 2017, Viñales won the opening two Grands Prix, finished third overall that year and continued taking victories in later seasons. When his partnership with Yamaha ended in 2021, he moved to Aprilia, adapting to a new motorcycle and building up podium results.
At the Americas Grand Prix in 2024, he finally won a Grand Prix for Aprilia, completing a record of victories with Suzuki, Yamaha and Aprilia. Results across those manufacturer chapters give his career experience of several motorcycle platforms and team relationships.
The 2026 Red Bull KTM Tech3 chapter
Viñales joined Red Bull KTM Tech3 in 2025 and continues on the number 12 KTM RC16 alongside Enea Bastianini in 2026. This is their second season together at the team, continuing their partnership after both changed manufacturers.
A shoulder injury in 2025 affected Viñales’s participation and recovery during the latter part of the season. Assessing his new KTM chapter means considering his success with three earlier manufacturers alongside the current motorcycle, his preparation and the conditions of each weekend to understand the different circumstances.
What to watch
First compare Viñales’s pace in practice and qualifying, then see whether the start and opening laps of the Grand Prix allow him to sustain that advantage. Follow his second-half lap times and compare him with his Tech3 teammate and the KTM factory team. Performance across different sessions of the same weekend helps explain the relationship between adapting to the motorcycle and race execution.
Statistics scope
Historical statistics on this page cover only the MotoGP premier class, with Grand Prix wins and Sprint wins listed separately. Moto2, Moto3, 125cc and WorldSBK honours are described separately in the biography. The figures are a snapshot of the official API on 1 October 2026; see this site’s standings for the latest points.
Last checked: 1 October 2026 · Historical statistics and current points are maintained separately