Image: Russell Colvin.

The return of Mike Jones to MotoGP draws closer this morning at Phillip Island, as the Spanish-based Australian prepares for his maiden laps with Angel Nieto Team in FP1.

Jones received a surprise call from Ducati Team manager Davide Tardozzi last Sunday as he completed his Superstock 1000 season at Jerez, drafted in to ride the GP16.

A previous appearance for Jones in the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix came in 2016, when he finished in 15th position aboard an Avintia Racing Ducati.

“I received a call on Sunday when I was at Jerez for the final round of the Spanish Superstock 1000 championship,” Jones told CycleOnline.com.au. “I changed my plans to leave Jerez that evening after the race to get back to Barcelona, pack up my belongings and head home to Australia.

“It was completely out of the blue and was not expected at all, so for me it was very exciting to receive that call and be able to come here and race MotoGP. Obviously because it’s Phillip Island in front of my home crowd, it was such a buzz when I rode here last time.

“The biggest thing is that I know what I’m in for. That first time I rode at Motegi I was completely thrown in the deep-end, but now I have that experience from 2016 and knowing the circuit will help. In saying that, it’s still going to be a massive challenge in my first time on the GP16 – there’s probably not a lot that carries over.

“In saying that, I’ve learned a lot from the last time I did a wildcard about data and electronics, so that will assist me a lot. The other thing is, this year I have spent the year racing on Michelin tyres and I think that will be quite an advantage to be able to understand the tyre sooner.

“The only goal for me is to ride to the best of my ability, to get the most out of each session and at the end of the day that will give me the best possible result that I can achieve,” he concluded.

The opening practice for the MotoGP World Championship takes place at Phillip Island in Victoria this morning from 11:55am local time, marking Jones first time in the premier class since he lined up in Australia two years ago.