Maverick Vinales to change race number for 2019 MotoGP season
Maverick Vinales will ditch his traditional number 25 in favour of the number 12 for the 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
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Yamamoto ‘never imagined’ scoring podium on injury comeback in Super Formula
Pourchaire “worried” for Super Formula prospects after nightmare debut
How Cassidy emerged triumphant from "mayhem" in Portland FE slow-burner
Nicky Hayden: Remembering motorsport's much-loved "one-off" five years on
Morbidelli/Rossi relationship won’t change as MotoGP team-mates
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Porsche lodges appeal over da Costa's Misano Formula E disqualification
2024 MotoGP world championship standings after the Americas GP
What Aston Martin’s curfew burn told us about its F1 upgrade trajectory
Tank Slappers Podcast: MotoGP Americas GP review
Can anyone stop "changed" Bagnaia as Ducati tightens its grip on MotoGP?
The signs that MotoGP's Japanese powerhouses are changing for the better
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments