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The Context of Alex Rins' Revelation

Alex Rins won the CEV in 2011 before moving up to the

Moto3™ World Championship in 2012 and gaining the title of
Rookie of the Year. A title contender down to the last corner
in 2013 after more wins and podiums, the Spaniard was just
beaten to the crown by compatriot Maverick Viñales. After a
more difficult 2014 affected slightly by injury, Rins moved to
Moto2™ for 2015 and was Rookie of the Year, taking wins in
his debut season in the intermediate class. A title challenger in
2016, the former national Champion finished the season in third
after more impressive wins and podiums, and moved up to
MotoGP™ in 2017 with Team Suzuki Ecstar.

Despite some trouble with injury and missed races,

Rins was impressive and took some top five results as
a rookie – a good springboard for his sophomore
season. He went on to take five podiums in 2018
and consistently fight at the front; another solid
foundation for 2019. The next step was made in
2019 as Rins claimed a maiden MotoGP™
victory at the Americas GP, before repeating
the feat in Silverstone. 2020 was another
outstanding year for the Spaniard as he

claimed victory in the Aragon GP as well as
podium finishes in the Catalan, Teruel and
European GPs, helping him claim 3rd overall
in the Championship. 2021 was a year to
forget for Rins, with crashes at crucial times
costing him dearly. He threw away opportunities on no
fewer than six occasions, tasting podium success once at
the British GP.

The Spaniard bounced back in 2022, delivering some
superb performances despite real adversity. Top of the
Championship after five rounds, Suzuki's exit hit the

team hard resulting in a dip in form. But magnificent wins
at Phillip Island and Valencia saw Rins finish the season
as the form man, giving him great confidence heading
into 2023 with the LCR Honda outfit. A famous victory
was bagged at the Americas GP, but Rins' season came
to a painful halt after he suffered a nasty leg break at the
Italian GP. Missing 13 races in total, Rins faced a new
challenge with Monster Energy Yamaha alongside
Quartararo. A best result of P8 in Malaysia signalled
progress towards the end of the season, as Rins and

Yamaha hope to make a good step forward together
in 2025.
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LHR Motorcycle Magazine Issue 09 January 2025