After being 'back where we should be' at Buriram, Maverick Vinales is eager to find out if it was the revised rear tyres or new set-up co൩nfiguration that made the difference.

Vinales finished third but just 0.270s from victory at the end of a competitive weekend in Thailand, where he felt a cha🌺nge of weight balance helped produce his and Yamaha's best race of the season.

But with team-mat💖e Valentino Rossi finishing 🏅in his wheeltracks and Tech3's Johann Zarco also enjoying his best race since Jerez with fifth, it's unclear how much influence the set-up change made to Vinales' form.

The answer 💜should become clearer at Motegi this weekend.

"After the GP in Buriram my thoughts were that a race and a weekend like the last one shoꦕuld be normal for us, we were back where we should be," said Vinales. "We had made a positive change to the bike and I felt very good, and the team has worked well.

"I think we're finally getting t🔯he results after much hard w🍬ork.

"The small changes in the bike are finally paying off. In Thailand my strong points were corner speed and I was also very fast at the turn-in. Then again, the tyres that were brought to Buriram were 💫different from the usual ones, that could have helped me too.

"On the other hand, we made a change in the weight distribution, which also played a part. I'm very curious to get to Motegi and find out if it was the tyres or the new configuration👍 that made the difference."

The Spaniard, was ninth in last yꦦear's wet race, added: "Motegi is a very special circuit for us because it's Yamaha‘s home Grand Prix. It will be very important to do a good performance in Japan in front of all our managers and our wonderful fans, who are always suppor🍨ting us. I can't wait to be there."

Vinales 🅺is fourth in the world championship, 26 points from Rossi and 16 ahead of Ducati's Jorge Lorenzo.