Aragon MotoGP - Saturday Practice & Qualifying LIVE!

Live updates from Saturday's MotoGP free practice and qualifying sessions at MotorLand!

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After splitting from Yamaha following Austria and missing Silverstone, Maverick Vinales returns to MotoGP action with Aprilia, where he has signed to race until the end of 2022.

Vinales recently took part in a private two-day test at Misano to help prepare for this weekend's official RS-GP debut, which follows hot on the heels from the bike's first MotoGP podium in the hands of Aleix Espargaro last time at Silverstone.

Last year's cooler October events aside, Aragon has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for Espargaro and Aprilia in the past, but what will nine-time premier-class winner Vinales do on his debut with the machine?

Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow is replacing Vinales alongside title leader Fabio Quartararo at the Factory Yamaha team for the second event in a row, with Jake Dixon likewise staying at Petronas Yamaha on the injured Franco Morbidelli's 2019 A-spec bike.

Quartararo, who claimed a fifth win of the season at Silverstone to push his world championship advantage up to 65-points over reigning title holder Joan Mir, has labelled Aragon as 'probably his worst circuit' but few would bet against at least a podium challenge by the Frenchman on Sunday.

The Suzuki was the most competitive package at Aragon last season with Mir and team-mate Alex Rins standing on the rostrum in both events. Rins also claimed the factory's first victory of the season, a feat he will be looking to repeat this weekend on the back of a strong second place at Silverstone.

Another rider to watch out for will be home hero Marc Marquez, unbeaten at the circuit since 2015 (having missed last year's races through injury). Like Sachsenring, where Marquez put Honda back on top of the podium for the first time since his arm injury, Aragon is also an anti-clockwise circuit.

Ducati struggled at Aragon last season but hopes the warmer September weather will play into its hands. Johann Zarco, Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller are now third, fourth and fifth in the world championship but - like Mir - are increasingly in a fight for best of the rest behind Quartararo.

Austria winner Brad Binder has climbed to sixth place and top KTM rider, the South African continues to battle forward on race day but badly needs to improve his qualifying.

Despite his recent absence, Vinales still holds seventh in the world championship. His stated aim of during remaining races of this season is to settle in at Aprilia and prepare for 2022.

But with a podium now in the bag and Espargaro losing just 0.2s a lap to race winner Quartararo at Silverstone, it's not out of the question that Espargaro and Vinales can now fight for what would be Aprilia's first ever win in the premier-class…