Maverick Vinales to change race number for 2019 MotoGP season

Vinales has used #25 since racing in the Spanish-based CEV series, except during his one and only season in Moto2 when sponsor demands prompted him to run #40.

However, the Yamaha rider has opted to use #12 for the 2019 campaign, because his birthday is January 12.

Thomas Luthi had been using the number this season, but the Swiss rider is dropping back down to Moto2 next year after a single troubled season in the premier class with the Marc VDS team.

The 2019 entry list also confirms the race numbers that next year's rookie class will use.

Fabio Quartararo (#20) and Joan Mir (#36) will both use the numbers they have raced in Moto2 this season.

Francesco Bagnaia's #42 is already in use by Suzuki rider Alex Rins, and the #21 he used in Moto3 is taken by Franco Morbidelli. Bagnaia will therefore use #63 when he joins the Pramac Ducati squad.

Miguel Oliveira meanwhile has raced #44 up to now, but with KTM stablemate Pol Espargaro already using that, the Portuguese rider will switch to #88 for the Tech 3 team.

Besides Vinales, the existing riders will all continue to use the numbers they have used this year.

Also on the entry list are the official team names for the 2019 campaign, several of which have changed.

After splitting with title sponsor Movistar, and acquiring Monster backing for next season, the factory Yamaha team is now listed simply as 'Yamaha Factory Racing'.

Tech 3 is now listed as 'Red Bull KTM Tech3' in accordance with its new sponsor deal with the Austrian drinks firm.

Finally, the SIC squad that replaces the Angel Nieto team on the 2019 grid is listed officially as 'Petronas Yamaha SRT'.

2019 MotoGP entry list

Honda: Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo
Ducati: Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci
Yamaha: Maverick Vinales, Valentino Rossi
Suzuki: Alex Rins, Joan Mir
KTM: Johann Zarco, Pol Espargaro
Aprilia: Andrea Iannone, Aleix Espargaro
LCR Honda: Cal Crutchlow, Takaaki Nakagami
KTM Tech3: Hafizh Syahrin, Miguel Oliveira
Pramac Ducati: Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia
Avintia Ducati: Karel Abraham, Tito Rabat
Yamaha SRT: Fabio Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli