Let's talk MotoGP: We must save soldier Álex Rins

Latest Grand Prix winner to date, Álex Rins is at a turning point in his career. Can he still dream of victories and even a world title in the future? With the 2023 season fast approaching, we present ten topics to watch out for throughout the year. This may concern drivers, teams or other themes, with, each time, a relatively clear-cut opinion; here we get wet. Of course, you are invited to say what you think in the comments. Yesterday we returned to the case of the Mooney VR46 team, an analysis that you can find by clicking on this highlighted sentence.

No need to deny the facts: By signing with LCR Honda, Álex Rins exposed himself to a major risk. Very simply, he risks leaving the world of Grands Prix if he does not find performance on the handlebars of his satellite RC213V. Let's study the question more closely.

Firstly, how is it that a rider of this caliber finds himself in the 10th team in the MotoGP championship according to last year's rankings? Difficult to say, but we can certify that it is a victim of context. The rapid renewal of the grid coupled with the departure of Suzuki put two drivers at odds, namely Joan mir et Alex Rins. So, it's better to stay at home LCR rather than abandoning MotoGP, that's a certainty, but the task promises to be difficult.

This is all the more difficult to swallow since Rins had regained a lot of speed at the end of 2022, and could easily claim better handlebars, at Gresini Racing team For example. It's sad to say, but one of the best drivers of his generation, winner of two races last year (and in what way) and author of exploits in Grand Prix will have difficulty finding its way back to the podiums.

 

You will have understood, we are (once again) very pessimistic about the Álex Rins case. We do not doubt for a moment his will or his talent, but the context once again works against him. Last year, we felt a totally disillusioned Álex Márquez, who could not find solutions on a machine that was impossible to operate, from the workshops of a manufacturer who has lacked ambition and daring for several years now.

In the event that the Honda worked rather well (which, according to post-Sepang feedback, is not a given), we don't see how Álex Rins could even titillate Marc Márquez. Before thinking about beating the eight-time world champion, we will first have to get past Takaaki Nakagami who, even if he had an average season, had found a semblance of form on the handlebars of the capricious winged motorcycle.

Faced with so many difficulties, Rins will undoubtedly try to push until he falls. His style is not marked by patience, although that is an essential quality for this type of challenge. Remember this start of the 2021 season riding the GSX-RR. After turning the problem around in all directions, we see almost no way out for the Spaniard, and it's very sad to say.

LCR Honda follows the dynamics verified since the birth of motor sports. The teams at the bottom of the table are always transitional teams, waiting to find performance which has nothing to do with the drivers. Contrary to what one might think, a driver can never change the fate of a team in the medium term. It is only the quality of the equipment used that dictates the place of training at the highest level; if she finds an average machine, then we can imagine " careers " at LCR (as a Cal Crutchlow in one way). But before that, there is no doubt that Álex Rins will look for other opportunities to bounce back.

 

Let's assume that the latter succeeds in his bet, that is to say that he finishes correctly placed in the top 10 two consecutive years, a feat given the results achieved by Honda riders other than Márquez since 2019. Besides, his Portimão tests were not so ridiculous. In the best case scenario, then, who can it really interest? At the end of 2024, the Spaniard will already be 29 years old and his magnificent successes will be far behind him. Until then, young guns as talented as each other will be favored by the official teams. There is no room for doubt when we see what is happening with Moto2.

We came to the following conclusion: to continue his adventure and hope to one day find a competitive position, he absolutely must beat his former teammate Joan Mir. Honda Repsol is an institution, and Rins has the perfect profile to join the training. Mir was in big trouble in 2022, and he, unlike Kidneys, will directly suffer from the comparison with Marc Márquez. We will return to his unique case in a few days. Regardless, there is something to be done on this front.

Otherwise, the grounds for hope are meager. The fact that a performer as unique as Álex Rins going from victory to one of the worst riders in MotoGP is heartbreaking. We hope he stays mentally strong and uses 2023 wisely, to show his best side in 2024, the year that will count for recruiters. Although we are not the most optimistic about his case, let's hope that he makes us lie and that he manages to adapt to the recalcitrant Japanese woman.

What do you think ? Imagine Rins for a few more years MotoGP ? Tell us in the comments!

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport