Maverick Vinales has often seen h🅷is MotoGP victory chances thwarted by a pไoor race start.

But the Spa♑niard made a perfect getaway in Sunday's inaugural Virtual Race, a six-lap online sprint around Mugello featuring ten premier-cl🉐ass riders, arranged to help fill the void in real racing.

Vinales shot from third to first off the line, before eventual race winner Alex Marquez an𝔍d pole start🉐er Fabio Quartararo lunged inside at Turn 1.

The #12 looked to have played it safe around the outside, only to be taken out by his 2021 factory Yamaha team-mate Quartararo when the young Frenchman losܫt the front of his Petronas bike while attacking Marquez.

"It's the first time I started well in my life!" Vinales joked. "Then I had the crash at ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚ💛ᩚᩚthe first corner."

"I braked a little bit late and lost the front," admitted Quartararo. "I made Maverick 🍃crash, but it’s just a game!"

Indeed, with only virtual scratches and bruises, both swiftly agreed they were "stilꦓl friends".

Vinales recovered to third place and a digital podium, with Quartararo (who s🐷et the f🃏astest lap of the race) in fourth.

"It was difficult to fight back 🐻but we had a good rhythm," said V꧅inales. "I'm happy to be on the podium."

MotoGP Virtual Race 2 with a to-be-confi🐬rmed rider line-up is to be broadcast o💎n Sunday, April 12.

The s🍎tart of the real racing season is not expected until at least June.

MotoGP Virtual Race 1 – Mugello Results:

1. Alex Marquez, 6 Laps, 10m 38.643s

2. Francesco Bagnaia, +7.093s

3. Maverick Vinales, +8.496s

4. Fabio Quartararo, +9.968s

5. Marc Marquez, +14.416s

6. Alex Rins, +19.548s

7. Joan Mir, +23.247s

8. Miguel Oliveira, +29.702s

9. Iker Lecuona, NC

10. Aleix Espargaro, NC