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 - wh💜ich last hosted World Superbike in 2010 - has been extensively m❀odified 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 an💝d R6 bikes.

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

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

💝"The people that I met here were great an🐽d 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 enjoඣying riding t🐷he R1."

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

The Spa🦩niard, who won three races during his first Yamaha MotoGP season, will be back on his M1 during the Sepan𒐪g test in late January.