Red Bull KTM test rider set to saddle up with Tech3 at BalatonThe Red Bull KTM Tech3 squad have announced a replacement for Maverick Viñales this weekend: Pol Espargaro. Viñales suffered a shoulder injury at the German GP and returned to action in Austria, but found himself enduring a weekend of riding through the pain barrier. He'll sit the Michelin Grand Prix of Hungary out to focus on his recovery.
In his place, Red Bull KTM test rider Pol Espargaro is set to take the reins. He has tested at Balaton Park, which could prove a big asset as the venue makes its debut on the calendar this weekend.
Pol Espargaro: "It’s tough for Maverick to miss another race but we saw in Austria that he needs more time for recovery and it’s important to think about MotoGP when you are 100%. I know this only too well! I repeat again what I said in Czechia: he's doing an amazing job for the factory, and he deserves to continue enjoying the bike, as the other guys have done. I hope he’s back asap. Right now we focus on Hungary and it's not easy to change the test rider ‘chip’ for the MotoGP rider ‘chip’, with the level the category has right now, and with the pace the others have. We’ve had some tests recently and we can see the project is making some great progress. I’m happy to be able to help out the team and the factory again by racing this weekend and, as always, it will bring some value to our work behind the scenes and at the races. We’ll need to change our mentality and get ready for this new challenge in Balaton Park."