Maverick Viñales returned to MotoGP at the Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi after being sidelined since the summer break with a shoulder injury. His first Friday back was demanding. He placed 18th in FP1 with a 1:45.515, then improved to 1:44.836 in Practice. Despite that gain, he remained last, 2.025 seconds away from the fastest time.

The Tech3 rider described Motegi as a difficult place to make a comeback, particularly because of its heavy braking demands and stop-and-go layout. Viñales acknowledged that he still has little confidence in the KTM and has lost the natural flow required to ride it quickly. His return is therefore being treated as a gradual rebuilding process rather than an immediate bid for front-running pace.

The KTM turns well, but braking remains unresolved

Viñales did identify one encouraging trait: in his view, the KTM turns better than he remembered. The difficulty comes on corner entry, where he is arriving too quickly and cannot yet slow the motorcycle in the right way. He needs to find the specific balance that will let him brake effectively while still carrying the bike into the turn.

That progress will require more laps, setup work and a clearer understanding of what the KTM is asking from him. Viñales pointed to the data from Pedro Acosta and Enea Bastianini as useful references, with Acosta at the front and Bastianini also having a good day. That gives him reason to believe the motorcycle can work at Motegi, even though he still needs time to adapt to it.

Physically, the returning rider was more positive. Viñales said his body felt quite good and that his forearms had caused less trouble than expected, despite considering Japan one of the toughest stops on the calendar. His immediate target is to finish the race, then rebuild his feeling and confidence on the KTM step by step.