On a day that saw Aprilia team-mate Aleix Espargaro take pole posit♏ion after being fastest in all his track sessions, Vinales recovered from missing out on direct Qualifying 2 access by leading Qualifying 1.

Vinales then went on to claim eighth on the grid.

“Today w▨e wanted the front row. We are not satisfied. We want more,” he said. “Still, it’s not natural for me to do one [fast] lap. But this will come.

“Anyway, it was a good day. We tried well the bike, the tyres. we are read꧋y for tomorrow. I’m quite happy.”

While Espargaro put in a very competitive final practice run on the medium rear tyre, Vinales looks set♈ to become perhaps the only rider 🗹on the grid to 'gamble' on the soft.

“We need to check. We are talking. Maybe Michelin will say, ‘look, you’re on th♉e last laps of the tyre’. Then I will race the medium. But if I can, I’ll race the soft because I feel good," Vinales said.

“[The soft in FP4] was a time attack tyre from the morning, which I had stressed already. So we used it in the worst conditions we could have♏ and I finished sixth fastest. With a new tyre, maybe I could’ve been first or second.  

"So I’m curious. I thiꦚnk I can make the tyre arrive until the end. Most guys will go for 🅘the hard, but I can’t.

“With the soft I can make ♑the same lap times without spinning too much. With the medium I spin much more. We’ll see. It’s a gamble▨ but we’ll lose nothing.

“I need to pass the꧂ others on the first lap so it’s better to have a huge help [from the soft tyre] then conserve.

“If we are wit🍎hin the limits of the [tyre comsumption] measurements, we’ll go for it. I’m the one to pus⛄h for the soft. It’s a gamble but I think it’ll work.”

While Espargaro has taken five podiums, including one win, this season, ♍Vinales has a best race finish of seven🉐th.