Having struggled since his arrival at Yamaha, Alex Rins is satisfied with the progress he has made, and is already approaching 2025 with a certain confidence. On the sidelines of the last event of the season, the Spaniard raised an important point about his progress in the team, and knows where to put his finger to display a level of performance similar to that of Fabio Quartararo.
Arriving at Yamaha, after a difficult season, marked by a long injury, at Honda, Alex Rins quickly gained the confidence of the Blues, to the point of extending his contract at the Iwata factory mid-season.
During a year of complicated adaptation, Rins often evolved in the shadow of the 2021 world champion, Fabio Quartararo. A situation that required rethinking his mental approach to racing.
“This season I worked so hard on myself. On the mental side, on my health, confided Alex Rins this Thursday in Barcelona.
I finished the season with Suzuki as a winner. I got on the Honda, and I won, but it was difficult too. Then, on the Yamaha, my best result was at Sepang, with eighth place. So I'm happy, because I've progressed since the Valencia test. »
While he often tried to copy the basic settings from his garage neighbor, Alex Rins was not able to find the solution to his problems before the Malaysian Grand Prix. At Sepang, the Iberian explained that he had managed to set up a more flexible bike, which made his braking easier. Progress that the No. 42 will normally be able to take with him for the rest and end of the season, in Catalonia.
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Factory MotoGP
Before the start of hostilities in Barcelona, he also wanted to recall the great disadvantage that being new to a team that is building a project around another driver represents.
“At the end of the day, the good thing about Fabio and I is that we both push each other, he continues.
When I'm a little bit faster than him, he works to be faster than me, and vice versa. The real difference between him and me is the bike. We are two talented riders, but he has been with Yamaha since 2019. This bike is for him, and I have to make my own bike now. This year it was a little difficult to do.
As Yamaha knows, I come from another team, and it takes more time, but I'm happy, because I gave my point of view, and they listened to me. It’s clear, we can’t use the same settings. When I try its settings, I'm not fast. We have two different driving styles. When your bike isn't fully competitive, it's even more difficult. I'm happy with my progress, and I think Yamaha is too.”
concludes Alex Rins.
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