How Jorge Lorenzo is pushing Maverick Vinales beyond his limits in MotoGP

Maverick Vinales has offered insights into his new partnership with Jorge Lorenzo, revealing how the three-time MotoGP champion is pushing him to reach levels he wouldn’t otherwise access.

Following the end of last season, Vinales signed Lorenzo as his performance coach for 2026, hoping to unlock more speed and ultimately achieve his dream of winning a title in the premier class.

While the 31-year-old is famous for his raw speed and peak performance, as reflected in his tally of 10 grands prix wins and 35 podiums, he has struggled to deliver that level consistently in MotoGP.

Vinales began working with Lorenzo over the winter as part of his preparation for the 2026 season, even as he simultaneously recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained at the German Grand Prix in July.

From testing road bikes at Jerez to completing ‘figure of eight’ drills in Valencia amid dirt riding, Vinales undertook an exhaustive winter programme to return to the level he enjoyed prior to his crash at Sachsenring.

Those training sessions also helped the Tech3 KTM rider better understand his own limits, with Lorenzo repeatedly pushing him to ride in conditions he would previously have avoided.

“During this winter season, Jorge pushed me to go out in conditions where I didn't like to go out,” Vinales explained. “But I think this is the key to this relationship, because he's strong. 

“I remember one time the track was really [wet] with a lot of water, and it was the first time I rode after my injury in rainy conditions. I was ready to go home. I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll go home and then come back tomorrow’.

“But no, I rode. He made me ride. And I think these kinds of things unlock a lot of potential. This is very important.

“I think Jorge will bring the intensity I needed outside the MotoGP bike.”

Vinales explained that Lorenzo helped him completely overhaul his training programme, a step he felt was necessary to extract his full potential in MotoGP.

Apart from spending more time riding on wet and slippery asphalt, Vinales was able to focus on specific areas over the winter, having previously spent most of the winter break just getting mileage and maintaining fitness.

Lorenzo will also join his countryman for the pre-season tests and the opening rounds of the 2026 MotoGP season.

“What I expect is to improve my technical side on the motorbike,” he said. “To change the riding style is hard because already I do everything automatically. But to gain or to have some tricks under my [belt], like how you manage the gas, how you brake. Jorge’s experience with racing, the experience of a long-time champion, this is really a key to make the next step for me.

“Obviously, I train very differently from the other years; very, very different. It's another way of preparing for the season. If I want something to happen, I have to do something differently. 

Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3, speaks with Jorge Lorenzo

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

“This year, I did something very different. I rode the bikes quite a lot, especially in the worst situation I can ride, which I was avoiding before. So, I did a step forward in difficult conditions.

“After that, Jorge brings a lot of direction just to train for a goal, which is important, not just making laps. [Earlier] I was doing long runs, trying to understand, but never working in a special area.

“With Jorge, we focus a lot on working every inch of the track. So, I think when I have him on the track, like Sepang tests and the first races, it will be good because he's able to really see good things outside the bike.”

Vinales and Lorenzo’s partnership is unusual given their personalities and history in MotoGP. It was Vinales who replaced Lorenzo at Yamaha in 2017, after the latter fell out with the Iwata-based brand and joined Ducati.

However, Vinales insists their relationship “has been fantastic” so far, adding: “We have a lot of fun. I'm surprised, too, because I knew another Jorge from the past and the last words we had were not nice.

“I had different expectations, but we are enjoying it. He's in another time of his life and he's enjoying himself now [after] coming back to the bikes, also because he thought that I'm giving the maximum. I think this is the key.”