Phillip Island MotoGP race winner Maverick Vinales described winning his first race of the season, and Yamaha’s first in 25 races, as an ‘unbelievable day’.

Despite starting from the front row of the gird, Vinales didn’t have a great start and found himself as low as ninth in the opening laps of the race. Vinales however found speed quickly and found himself leading on lap eight, never looking back.

“Actually it was an unbelievable day,” said the 23-year-old.

“First of all I didn’t expect to start so bad. It was incredible when I see myself in tenth and I said ‘you’re stupid, what are you doing’. I just tried to keep my concentration.

“We worked so good this morning on the switch and the electronics and I know if I feel myself good I could be fast. Then all weekend I was in the top three so I just felt good. I just said okay, now I have to push. I don’t need to think about the tyre, I just need to push and push and push. When I saw I was three second, I thought I can relax and little bit and save the tyre.

“But anyway, it was close because both Andreas were coming very fast. It’s incredible. Honestly amazing, retuning to the win on that track is something unbelievable.

“I mean it’s the best track for me. Maybe the track suits me and that’s why I can make a little bit more, but I am really happy. Honestly the team during all the weekend was working good and we were working the way I wanted and that’s unbelievable good.”

This marked Yamaha’s first win in 25 races and Vinales’ first win in 28 races. At times this year, the Spaniard looked broken and demoralised. Vinales admitted that this season have been rough at times and that he needed this win.

“Honestly the season has been difficult,” he said. “I needed that win. We needed that win.

“Yamaha needed to start next season well. I said on Friday we need to be good and we need to be motivated to start next season very good and for sure this win will give us a lot of motivation.

“I’m really happy; just all the guys were so good all weekend. Even yesterday we were together, trying to be more confident between all the team. The race just worked what I thought and what I imagined.

“This morning I felt I could do it and when I had the chance I just go to show and to prove that my riding style was amazing.”

Yamaha brought significant updates to Thailand which saw Vinales finish in third. Unfortunately for him and Yamaha, he took a step back in Motegi. Vinales said that he went back to his Buriram bike and concentrated on his own riding, rather than the bike.

“In Motegi, finally we decided to change the bike,” said Vinales.

“Here we come back to the Thailand bike, exactly the same. I get used to the bike, trying to ride. In Thailand I had really good feedback from the bike. In Japan in FP1 I was quite strong, it was the same bike as here.

“Then we start to play a little bit, we wanted too much; maybe it was the limit from the bike.

“Here I just concentrate on the lines. I know that if the bike wasn’t perfect, I could make it perfect. Because I have some good lines here and I can be fast, I have a lot of speed.

“I think also the team did a good job, because we’ve been working really hard in the electronics. I start with the electronics working not very good, but as soon as we put them in the correct place we was fast.”