After a strong pre-season, Maverick Vinales must have expected much better than twelfth in the world championship heading to the start of the European season, in front of his home Spanish fans, at Jerez this weekend. Yet that's the situation he faces, after a race day disappointment in Qatar, Argentina and Texas. The Monster Yamaha rider qualified on the front row for two of those events, but slipped to seventh in Qatar then was taken down while fighting for fifth on the last lap in Argentina. Related Articles Cal Crutchlow ruptures ankle ligaments in Barcelona Franco Morbidelli: I had a phone call, it was Spike Lee...

A jump start in Texas then meant a recovery ride to eleventh, from sixth on the grid.

But Vinales was the top Yamaha in third at November's Jerez test, just a fraction behind the Honda's of Takaaki Nakagami and Marc Marquez, providing hope the M1 can be competitive at what has proven to be one of its toughest tracks for the past two seasons.

"I'm happy because finally we arrive to the European rounds. In Austin, despite the problems we encountered, I felt very good riding my bike and I had a very good race pace," Vinales said.