Brilliant ninth in Qatar, and first among the rookies, the new recruit of the Suzuki team had a much more difficult second race at Termas de Rio Hondo due to a fractured talus sustained during motocross training.
Rins wasn't at all sure he could run when he flew to Argentina, relying on a crutch as he struggled to put his injured foot on the ground. He narrowly passed the medical check-up, then took part in all the test sessions to get onto the starting grid where he obviously moved into twenty-third and last position. Just being there was already a small feat.
Alex made an excellent start and was in fifteenth position at the end of the first lap, then moved up to fourteenth place on the sixth, when his teammate Andrea Iannone was forced to take a penalty ride through for early departure. Rins tried to continue his climb, but things went wrong during an attempt to overtake and he fell.
Despite the intense pain, he restarted and completed five laps in last position, before having to return to his pits on the twelfth lap. His suffering was then such that his mechanics had to help him get off his machine. Hopefully he will have enough time to get back into shape for the next Grand Prix which will take place in Austin next week.
According to alex rins, “The truth is that it was a difficult weekend. We knew it would be difficult due to the injury, and in fact it hurt for the whole three days, but we wanted to take part in the race and in the end we did. Although I started from the back, I'm very happy with myself because I managed to stay cool and get a great start.
“During the race I felt very comfortable with my ankle, it didn't hurt too much, except when braking. After a few laps in 15th place, I tried to overtake in the only possible corner – the entry to turn 13, and managed to move up to 14th place, but lost control of the front and I fell.
“It wasn't a bad accident, but I hit my foot and the pain increased, which didn't allow me to finish the race. Now it's time to look ahead and go to Austin. I really like this circuit and I hope to get a lot of rest and physiotherapy during these days, in order to arrive in Texas in much better conditions. »
To Davide Brivio, his team manager, “Leaving Argentina without any points is very difficult to accept. Alex's weekend made progress with his injury but ended badly due to his crash during the race. He tried hard to drive, learn, collect data and finally try to be competitive in racing. We respect that, and I hope he gets better results in the next races.
“We simply have to forget this day, and we rejoice however, because from this bad problem we can find positives: we have focused on some areas that can be improved to offer a better whole. Most importantly, I still believe that we can aim for good points while improving.
“Probably Austin is not one of the circuits that suits our machines best, but we have to work hard from the start. We will be well prepared for the return to Europe where we will find more favorable tracks. I think we will make a fresh start for this season, forgetting what has happened so far and increasing our opportunities. »
Ranking :
1. Maverick Vinales ESP Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 41m 45.060s
2. Valentino Rossi ITA Movistar Yamaha MotoGP (YZR-M1) 41m 47.975s
3. Cal Crutchlow GBR LCR Honda (RC213V) 41m 48.814s
4. Alvaro Bautista ESP Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP16) 41m 51.583s
5. Johann zarco ENG Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)*
42m 0.564s
6. Jonas Folger GER Monster Yamaha Tech 3 (YZR-M1)*
42m 3.301s
7. Danilo Petrucci ITA Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP17) 42m 5.106s
8. Scott Redding GBR Octo Pramac Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 42m 10.540s
9. Jack Miller AUS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 42m 10.725s
10. Karel Abraham CZE Aspar MotoGP Team (Desmosedici GP15) 42m 11.463s
11. Loris Baz FRA Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP15) 42m 12.012s
12. Tito Rabat ESP Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS (RC213V) 42m 26.935s
13. Hector Barbera ESP Reale Avintia Racing (Desmosedici GP16) 42m 27.830s
14. Espargaro Pol ESP Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 42m 28.145s
15. Bradley Smith GBR Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (RC16) 42m 28.512s
16. Andrea Iannone ITA Team Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR)
42m 31.279s
Photos © Suzuki
