Alex Rins is having a nightmare season, with neither results nor direction, but the Spaniard hasn't lost his candor. At the Catalan Grand Prix, the Yamaha rider pointed the finger at what he considers the source of all his troubles: the bike, not the riders.
The Spanish pilot assures that he feels " at the peak of his performance » physically, his injuries consolidating well thanks to a new therapyBut as soon as he climbs onto the M1, things get complicated: " This year is difficult. Last year was better. We're giving it our all, but the problem is more with the bike than the rider." For Kidneys, it is clear that some errors come from humans, but the evidence is obvious: « On several Grand Prix, we were all behind. I'm not the only one »
The observation is brutal: the M1 is at the end of its cycle. Yamaha admitted it by launching a completely new project, based on the future V4. " It’s a radical change, they work very hard "Comments Kidneys, who praises the efforts of his factory. But he does not hide the slowness of the process: " things done well move slowly, it is easy to make mistakes »
He, in any case, is waiting for this engine like a lifeline. I hope the bike handles differently. It's a machine built from scratch. This will be like my fourth brand. " And he slips in a little dig in memory of Suzuki : " their engine broke down at every session »
Alex Rins: “ As a pilot, I find it hard to believe that it actually helped us. »
If he struggles on the track, Kidneys recognizes that the current M1 does not suit his style. We couldn't find it a motorcycle that suits my riding style. I had to to adapt, to change, to force. » The Spaniard insists on the unity of the team, but also drops a bombshell: even the arrival of the satellite team has not changed much. It gives us more data, yes… but honestly, as a pilot, I find it hard to believe that it really helped us. »
In the game of musical chairs, Kidneys heard the rumors of being sidelined. But he brushes the subject aside with confidence: " It didn't affect me, I'm too mentally strong for it to weigh on me. » He also recalls that he is under contract for two years with Yamaha , which gives him a certain serenity.
The confirmation of Jack Miller in the fold Yamaha does not worry him, nor does the future passage of Toprak Razgatlioglu in MotoGP: “ it's a big unknown. What we want is for it to succeed. But it will be a big change, the power and rigidity are not the same. »
With seven races to go, Kidneys remains optimistic on one point: "I hope to finally be able to communicate better with the team. "But his key phrase sums it all up: it's not the riders who are at fault, but the bike.
And behind this observation made on Todocircuito, that's the whole philosophy Yamaha which is called into question. The bet of the V4 will be their lifeline. If Kidneys no longer believes in it, who could still believe in it?
