Maverick Vinales returns in three-strong Aprilia Misano line-up

After sitting out the COTA round following the tragic death of his cousin Dean Berta Vinales, Maverick Vinales will return to action in a three-strong Aprilia line-up for this weekend's final Misano MotoGP round.

It's a track Vinales knows better than any other with the RS-GP, having made his Aprilia debut during a private Misano test before racing at Aragon (18th place) and Misano 1 (13th). He then took part in the official post-race Misano test (9th), before the shock of his cousin's accident prompted him to miss COTA.

"Coming back to race in Misano again is special for me," Vinales said. "This is where I tested the RS-GP for the first time and began my relationship with Aprilia.

"The temperatures will be lower than they were in the first round on this track - a factor that I want to take advantage of because it lets me use a softer compound at the front.

"I can’t wait to get back in the saddle to continue our growth. We have great potential and a lot of things to try in order to build our performance lap after lap."

After a torrid time in Texas, where he suffered five crashes, team-mate and Misano test leader Aleix Espargaro is also pleased to be back in Italy.

"I am arriving in Misano with positive sensations. During the first race here and especially in the tests following it, we made some significant steps forward, improving on all the RS-GP’s features," he said.

"We’ve had time to recuperate our strength after the GP in Texas and I'm ready to tackle this [round] in the best possible way."

For the first time this season, there will be a third Aprilia on track during a race weekend in the form of Lorenzo Savadori, who stepped down from race duties following the mid-season arrival of Vinales from Yamaha.

The rookie is still carrying injuries from Austria, but is eager to be back on the MotoGP grid, this time with the Aprilia test team.

"I really want to get back on the bike and race," Savadori said. "I still can’t say that I'm at 100% physical fitness, but the situation has improved greatly. I'm sure the home fans will give me even more motivation.

"We have a lot of work to do on a track that we know well and that we’ll be tackling in conditions that are different than the ones we are usually accustomed to."