Maverick Viñales is set to make his long-awaited return to MotoGP action this weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, and the Tech3 KTM rider is feeling optimistic about his recovery—though questions linger about his fitness and his future in the sport.

After missing the last three races in Austin, Jerez, and Le Mans due to injury, Viñales is eager to get back on track. The Spaniard underwent surgery to remove a displaced screw from his left shoulder, a procedure that was deemed necessary after the hardware began hampering his performances early in the season. The injury saga dates back to a crash during qualifying for last July's German Grand Prix, and the recovery process has been a frustrating chapter for the former race winner.

"It's such a hard moment to stay on the sofa, especially looking at my teammates going so well," Viñales admitted. "But it's good that we decided to make the second operation because it was really necessary. Taking out the screw and cleaning all the joints was mandatory. If not now, in the summer, so it was a good moment to do it now."

During his time off, Viñales has been hard at work at the Red Bull APC Centre in Austria, focusing on regaining strength and mobility. "I mostly lived there in the last three weeks," he said. "We made all the recovery and tried to gain all the strength back."

While Viñales reports significant progress—particularly in terms of mobility—he acknowledges that full power has not yet returned. "I just have one muscle that is getting longer, but it's because they go in with all the machines and everything. They broke the muscle, basically, to go in, and this needs time to recover," he explained.

The 30-year-old entered the 2025 season with high hopes, believing he had made a full recovery over the winter. But after failing to score a single point in Thailand and Brazil—struggling with pain throughout—he was forced to withdraw from the US Grand Prix following Friday practice. Now, after surgery and intensive rehab, Viñales believes he is in a much better place, both physically and mentally.

When asked if this was the best he had felt physically since before the crash, Viñales replied: "In terms of mobility, yes. In terms of power, I worked a lot in the winter. Of course, with natural shoulder strength, it's still a process, but I'm feeling good."

As Viñales prepares to rejoin the grid at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, all eyes will be on his performance—not just for this weekend, but for what it means for his future in MotoGP. With his contract situation still uncertain and the paddock buzzing with speculation, a strong comeback could be exactly what he needs to silence the doubters and remind everyone why he's a perennial contender.