Vinales visits South Africa, laps Kyalami

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Maverick Viñales had the honour to be the first MotoGP rider to enter the revamped Kyalami International Race Track, in South Africa yesterday.

The historic track - which last hosted World Superbike in 2010 - has been extensively modified and upgraded by its new owners, after being auctioned off in 2014.

Vinales visits South Africa, laps Kyalami

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP's Maverick Viñales had the honour to be the first MotoGP rider to enter the revamped Kyalami International Race Track, in South Africa yesterday.

The historic track - which last hosted World Superbike in 2010 - has been extensively modified and upgraded by its new owners, after being auctioned off in 2014.

Vinales, who was taking part in the Yamaha R World Event, started proceedings with a private test session followed by a six-lap run accompanied by local Superbike and Supersport riders, plus ten lucky Yamaha customers, riding R1 and R6 bikes.

The morning session was followed by lunch and a press conference.

"The R World Riding Experience was so good! I really liked riding the bike and I‘ve been enjoying my stay in South Africa and riding at the Kyalami International Race Track a lot," Vinales said.

"The people that I met here were great and we had a lot of fun. A lot of fans came here, I‘m really happy and I appreciate the fans' and also the staff‘s support. I‘m just really glad to be here and I for sure would like to come back.

"The track is really nice, it‘s like an old-school style track and I‘ve been enjoying riding the R1."

After the event, Vinales had some time left to enjoy sunny Cape Town before going on a well-deserved holiday.

The Spaniard, who won three races during his first Yamaha MotoGP season, will be back on his M1 during the Sepang test in late January.

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