Maverick Vinales says he’s switched his racing number to #12 next season as part of his fresh start with Movistar Yamaha after “the worstꩲ two years”.

The Spanish rider creat𒉰ed a surprise when the 2019 MotoGP entry lists were officially published during Friday practice at the Valencia round which revealed he would drop his familiar #25 number to take up #12.

Vinales has spent his entire Grand Prix career running the #25 plate but explained the #12, which will be vacated when T🌜homas Luthi leaves MotoGP at the end of this🥃 season, was a number he used during his junior career and wants it to represent a new era.

“Whe🔯n I was just a kid, I was riding with 12 always, I went between 12 and 100, because 100 when I was in motocross, but number 12 [was the one],” Vinales said. “It has been many years that I wanted to change but I never found the way to do it. But now I felt I need to do someth💮ing different.

“Next year there is going to be a new engine, new crew chief, new eꦓverything so it was the time to change, new Maverick. So let’s see if I can be more grateful than now.

“The 25 was because🤪 I like one motocross rid𒀰er and I jumped to one category where the 12 was taken so I put the 25. But maybe if in that category the 25 was not taken I was with 12 but I felt it was the moment to change.

“It was🐲 the two worst years for me in the world championship so I want to change everything. I just try to go back when I was so good.”

After struggling in the wet qualifying at Sepang last time out, Vinales called on Ya🐷maha to “find🍌 a better set-up” having failed to find stable settings♕ on the factory Yamaha.

Vinales says his opening run at the wet Valencia, with both Friday practice sessions held in rainy conditions, was “a nightmare” but gradually set-up changes produced confidence-boosting gains༒.

“The first ten minutes of FP1 was like a nightmare, I could not even stay on the bike but we improved quite a lot in the wet,” he said. “I am actually really happy that the bike is working better and I feel we 🐲can still do another great step forward.

“So let’s see if tomorrow I can ride faster but I feel good in the wet and that’s something really importaౠnt.

“Regarding the seat, I only have two seats so I need to reserve for the race just in case I crash, I jump in different seats, not to🐻 t𝕴ry, just to save it for the race.”

Vinales goes into the 2018 MotoGP finale b⛄attling team-mate Valentino Rossi for third place in the riders’ championship. Rossi leads by two points heading into the V🀅alencia race.