Vinales 'eager' for 'special' Silverstone

Maverick Vinales returns to the scene of his memorable first MotoGP victory at Silverstone this weekend.

The Spaniard's dominant performance at the 2016 event was also Suzuki's first (and so far only) MotoGP victory since 2007.

Vinales joined Yamaha the following season, winning three of this first five races with the team. But the victories for both Vinales and team-mate Valentino Rossi suddenly stopped at Assen last year.

Acceleration, relative to Ducati and Honda, is cited as the main reason for the team's barren run, with a private test at Misano on Sunday used to work on possible solutions.

Whether any new developments will be ready for this weekend remains to be seen, but the flowing track layout should negate some of the acceleration issues.

"After the test in Misano last Sunday we come to the Silverstone Circuit in a positive mood," Vinales said. "We have a good feeling and the satisfaction of having worked hard. 

"The team is looking forward to getting this weekend started, because the track's fast layout suits our bike, as the results of the previous years' show. 

"As I always said, Silverstone is a special track for me because I won my first MotoGP race there. I like this circuit a lot; there are many fast corners, many chicanes, and that's something that really suits my riding style."

Vinales lost out on victory by just 0.114s to Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso last season, with Rossi a close third.

"Honestly, it's one of the best tracks on the calendar for me. It's one of the Grands Prix that I'm always eager to go to, and I will do my best and give my maximum to be on the podium again, like I was in 2017, or even better," said Vinales.

"Last year we were the fastest on the last laps, so we are going to try to be more competitive and even stronger this weekend."

Vinales is fifth in the world championship with three podiums this season.