Maverick Vinales is Moto3 world champion!

Maverick Vinales has won the Moto3 World Championship after a final turn showdown with title rival Alex Rins.

Home stars Luis Salom, Vinales and Rins began the race covered by just five points, with victory enough for each of the KTM riders to secure the title.

The trio qualified on the front row and filled the top three places by the end of the first lap.

After shadow boxing for the opening half of the race, a major upset occurred when Salom - who had led the championship since round six and had been swapping the race lead with Vinales almost at will - lost the front of his KTM and slid out of third.

Salom rejoined down the order, but the title was now a straight duel between Vinales and Rins with ten laps to go. Jack Miller then fell from third, leaving a lead group of Rins, Vinales and Folger.

Folger kept a close but respectful distance and the contest went down to the very final corner when Rins lunged for the inside to pass Vinales - only for Vinales to cut back under on the exit.

Folger then slipstreamed past Rins for second on the run for the line.

Salom has won seven races this year, Rins six and Vinales three. Rins' team-mate Alex Marquez is the only other rider to have claimed a 2013 race victory.

Salom and Vinales will be team-mates at Pons in Moto2 next year, with Rins - riding in only his second grand prix season - yet to confirm his plans.