After 𒁏the high of Jerez, where Maverick Vinales took his first podium of the season at one of his ꦜand Yamaha's worst tracks, the Spaniard was sent back down to earth - literally - at Le Mans.

Vinales could only manage eleventh on the grid during a damp qu🔴alifying in France and dropped to 14th in the early stages of the dry race, when he was then taken out by Francesco Bagnaia.

It was the second tꦍime this season Vinales has been sent flying after contact from another rider and means he is now just tenth in the world championship, with his title hopes already realistically over.

One of Vinales' top priorities for Mugello this weekend is to perform better in qualifying, while insisting his feeling with the M1 w🎶as otherwise 'almost perfect' at Le Mans.

"After the crash at Le Mans, I left t♑he circuit with a bad taste in my mouth, I was very disappointed," Vꦚinales said.

"We worked very well all weekend, but the problem was that I 💫started too far from the first row of the grid. We‘ve learned frꦬom this, we have to work hard on Saturdays.

"I'm really looking forward to being back on my bike this 🌃weekend. During the las⛎t grand prix I had a good feeling on the M1, it was almost perfect and I was able to go very fast.

"We are solving all the problems step-by-step. I'm sure that we are heading in the right direction.ꦡ So, if we'll continue working hard, good results will arrive soon.

"Mugello is a track🔜 that I like and where I've a🐬lways had a lot of fun, and it's perfect for my riding style, so let's see what happens.”

Vinales qualified on the front row aᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚt Mugello last season, but slipped back to eighth in the race, having finished second from pole position in 2017.

Team-mate Rossi made it two consecutive Mugello poles for Yamaha in 2018, going on to complete the podium behind the Ducat꧙is in the race.

However Yamaha - like Suzuki♚ - will need to compensate for a lack of top speed against Ducati and Honda on the lon🍸gest straight of the year this weekend.