MotoGP Manufacturers Rally Behind 850cc Engine Update
The 2027 MotoGP regulations are yet to be decided on. The manufacturers seem to have found common ground on a critical issue.
Maverick Vinales is riding a wave of momentum – and he knows exactly where he wants it to take him: 2027.
After a rocky start to his Tech3 KTM chapter, the 30-year-old has found his rhythm again, and now he’s talking about the future with conviction.
Following a sluggish opening to the 2024 season that yielded just six points across the first six rounds, the tide began to turn for Vinales under the desert lights in Qatar.
He qualified sixth and then fought toe-to-toe with Ducati’s factory titans, Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia, in the race. It was a return to form that felt almost overdue.
“The start to the year was slower than expected,” Vinales admitted.
“Even though I had a strong feeling with the bike from the beginning, after the first race in Thailand, I knew we needed to take a proper look at everything.”
“Now, with some things sorted – not everything – it’s already going really well. I’m close to riding just on instinct.”
And instinct, for Vinales, is everything. “When I won in the U.S. in 2024, that’s what it was – pure instinct.”
HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE! 🔥
— MGP1 (@mgp1official) April 14, 2024
Maverick Vinales is the first MotoGP rider to win on three different manufacturers as he comes back from 11th after Turn 1 to clinch the race win at COTA 🏆
Super-rookie Pedro Acosta and Enea Bastianini complete the podium!#MotoGP #AmericasGP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/k5K0eEC44c
“That’s what gets you into the flow, where you’re not thinking anymore. In Qatar, for the first time on the KTM, I felt really close to that.”
The Spaniard has no doubts about his trajectory, and despite only finishing fifth in Jerez, he saw potential beyond the result.
“Even in Le Mans, the feeling in the opening laps was really strong. I actually think the bike had the potential to lead,” he said.
“And now, with the colder temperatures, I see no issue. Based on my recent experience, it actually suits the bike better.”
Heading into race weekends, Vinales is clear about what he needs from his crew: “Stability. That’s the only word I told my crew chief.”
“This track needs the bike to stay agile at speed, to allow fast direction changes – but if the bike becomes unstable, you lose time.”
That synergy with his crew, particularly Manuel Cazeaux, is something Vinales holds in high regard.
“The understanding with him is amazing – even a glance is enough. For me, he’s the number one crew chief in MotoGP. He dives into the work the same way I do as a rider.”
Despite competing for his fourth different manufacturer in MotoGP and entering his tenth premier class season, Vinales says experience isn’t the cornerstone of his approach.
“I think it’s important to arrive with a clear mind. If you come in with a rigid expectation of how things should go, you’ll probably fail. I’ve learned that.”
“Every weekend is just about making the most of the situation and seizing opportunities.”
That philosophy appears to be working. With 32 points in the last two rounds, Vinales has jumped from the back of the field into 11th overall – just six points behind KTM’s top rider, Pedro Acosta.
But while his focus is sharp on the present, Vinales is already thinking ahead – to 2027.
“For me, not yet,” he said when asked if the current RC16 is the best bike he’s ridden. “I think 2027. It will be a good bike.”
With engine development frozen under current regulations, Vinales is realistic about what’s possible in the near term.
“For next year, it’s going to be hard to change because you cannot change the engine, even though I like the engine a lot.”
“You can change small things, but everything is frozen. It will be hard next year to do a bigger step. But for me, the big step will come in ’27 I think.”
KTM has yet to officially commit to the 850cc regulations that come into play in 2027, and Vinales doesn’t have a contract beyond 2025. Still, he remains upbeat.
“I know, but the team has decided to compete at the maximum level,” he said when asked about KTM’s financial turbulence.
“So, I never felt worried for the future because I always talked to them. We need to build up something amazing for the future. They never said anything different.”
That future, as far as Vinales is concerned, is about building – not just competing. “Obviously I don’t even have a contract for ’27, but that is what’s on my mind and what I would like.”
“I would like to do an amazing bike. We have the potential. We have Dani [Pedrosa], Pol [Espargaro], great technicians. So, we must do it. This is an opportunity.”
