Pol Espargaro will feature again in Italy next weekend with Tech3 KTM confirming he will ride alongside Maverick Vinales at the San Marino Grand Prix this weekend. Vinales will continue to develop his injury to get back 100% for the next race and he is still grappling with a longstanding injury in his shoulder.

The move will see Espargaro compete in his third time at the 2026 Grand Prix, following on from his first two Championships replacing Vinales with the British and Aragon.

The transfer is good news for KTM Tech3, who is seeking a boost of stability as they enter a challenging phase. It also means Espargaro must have a good understanding of the team and has worked with the KTM equipment before and a safe bet if Vinales remains unavailable.

Vinales has been suffering problems on a left shoulder injury sustained when he crashed in a qualifying at the Sachsenring last year. The journey of his recovery has not been easy and the Spaniard has encountered a couple of setbacks as he has recovered.

One problem for Vinales was that he sat out some races at the start of the 2026 season. He would finally come back to competition in May when he appeared at the Barcelona Grand Prix however, his physical condition continued to impact his performance. Since his return though, his record has been below average.

On 1 April, Vinales had surgery on his hurt shoulder to remove a piece of metal. The screw was thought to be some of the issues that slowed his recovery. It was believed it was an operation which would allow him to come back to his full fitness, but it’s been complicated.

Since the summer when he remained away it was hoped he would be able to return to the bike and begin his recovery from that season. But his physical health has prevented him from returning to the track any more.

There has also been some tension on his future with the KTM and Tech3.

The bond with KTM has soured and it’s especially been a problem over his contract. Earlier Motorsport.com said that KTM would aim to drop Vinales from their line-up for the remainder of 2009. This is yet another challenge for the rider and adds to the many uncertainties.

The team’s main work is keeping Vinales’ spirits up as he recovers from the injuries suffered last Tuesday,” Tech3 team director Nicolas Goyon told AFP. He meanwhile, brought Espargaro back to the team for the weekend at Misano.

Espargaro is a guy that everyone knows at Tech3 and has demonstrated the desire to come to the point when necessary. Rejoining with the Motocross crowd whether there is only a short period of time for the rider to get used to the dirt or the motorcycle is not a familiar one is never easy. But Espargaro of course has years of experience and he knows the team and KTM’s bikes.

He’s had mixed success in his recent comeback.

Espargaro was in 13th place and picked up three championship points at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.Espargaro was 13th and gained three championship points at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. Then, he had finishing problems at Aragon, ending up in 16th place.

A referee is an integral part of the game the results may not seem spectacular on paper, but Espargaro’s contribution is more than just about points. He is also assisting KTM in the final stages of the development of its new prototype 850cc engine, providing the bike-maker with some feedback as an important phase in its MotoGP season.

All that coding experience may prove to be of great help at Misano.Espargaro is familiar with the KTM project from previous seasons and can offer feedback with the experience he gained from the bike, as well as its development.

The KTM insists that every session countsas the brand strives to fine-tune its next generation MotoGP bike. Espargaro had his chance with another race, though, to prove that he still has stuff in him.

Over the last season a number of riders have suddenly found themselves in uncharismatic roles and again the skies are empty of riders for KTM and Espargaro’s name features in that list.Vinales will now be dedicated solely to his rehabilitation. Returning before he’s physically fit for the game would be risky after enduring the injury for so long.

Tech3 has made it clear that they want to see Vinales back only when he is ready to race again. Espargaro will be replaced at Misano for now in the Tech3 KTM line-up. Lastly, the San Marino Grand Prix will provide another chance for Espargaro to collect data, to help KTM’s development programme, but also to battle it out for points.

It also will serve as another harbinger of the intricacy of Vinales’ 2026 campaign. The Spaniard is still in the process of rehabilitating from the injury and Espargaro is expected to be called on again to do a challenging task.

Whether it will be performance, then development and consistency that the focus in Misano will be on, one thing is for sure consistency that Vinales will be one he hopes will come with him to full fitness sooner or later, otherwise the uncertainty surrounding his season will live to regret KTM and Tech3.