Maverick Vinales has admitted to using a prototype 2018 M1 chassis at this weekend Misano MotoGP round as he feels more comfortable and ‘in the flow’.

It is thought that both Vinales and team-mate Valentino Rossi have been using the chassis since the Austrian round and has also helped with the tyre life problem the duo have been experiencing.

“I feel good, because I did many laps on the tyres and that was the work I wanted to do, especially during FP2, getting the tyres to work for the full amount of laps of the race. Honestly, I’m quite surprised that the rhythm was really good and I’m quite happy about how the bike was working,” said Vinales.

“Still we have to improve, because the lap times weren’t as fast as we thought we could do. I’m using the 2018 prototype chassis, because already when I tested in Misano, I felt good and more comfortable on the bike, which is really important for me, as a rider, to be ‘in the flow’. I will continue to use it until the end of the season, because it has been an improvement.”