Maverick Viñales returned to MotoGP competition at the Japanese Grand Prix, taking 14th place at Motegi and scoring his first points since June’s Dutch Grand Prix. The Tech3 KTM rider had been absent since July because of a shoulder injury, yet the shoulder was not the main concern during his comeback.

Viñales qualified 19th and finished 33.995 seconds behind the leader. The result left him away from the front, but the more revealing measure was how his body handled a full race after an extended period away from the motorcycle.

The forearm problem

Viñales said his greater worry was forearm fatigue rather than the shoulder. Motegi’s repeated heavy braking puts a substantial load through the rider’s arms, and the long break from riding made that effort apparent during the race. He nevertheless found useful pace in the middle and closing stages, even though he could not yet push at the maximum. He viewed the race as valuable training for the next phase of his return.

The points therefore mark progress, not the end of the recovery process. Viñales still needs to understand the motorcycle better and acknowledged that he is not riding perfectly yet. Some of the strength required in racing, he explained, is difficult to build in the gym and has to come from accumulating time on the bike.

A more manageable Mandalika

Viñales expects the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika to be less demanding physically because the circuit does not contain Motegi’s same heavy braking load. Direction changes no longer trouble him as they did in the past. He feels that the shoulder has healed, but says he must progressively increase the load on the motorcycle to rebuild strength in specific areas. That gradual return to race-ready condition will be tested again in Indonesia.