Vinales to undergo extensive medical checks after Qatar struggles

Maverick Vinales ended the Qatar Grand Prix weekend concerned about his left shoulder injury and said he was considering stepping away from racing again. The KTM rider finished 15th in the sprint and 13th in the grand prix, ahead of only stand-in Jake Dixon.

Vinales said that despite having reasonable pace, the injury makes it hard to make progress, as losses at the start cannot be recovered later in races. He confirmed that upon returning to Europe he will undergo a CT scan, an MRI and an MR arthrogram to establish what is wrong. He did not rule out another break from racing or further surgery.

Vinales had earlier said he was racing not because he was fit but because missing races would mean losing his salary, and he has been struggling with the shoulder injury sustained at the Sachsenring.