Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Rins did not pen a year to remember in 2024 as the Spaniard adapted to his new life as a factory Yamaha rider by enduring his career-worst season in MotoGP to date.
The 29-year-old has been in the premier class since the 2017 season when Suzuki promoted Rins from Moto2 straight into their factory rider line-up. But his career has met hurdle after hurdle since the Japanese brand withdrew from the world championship at the end of 2022.
Suzuki pulling the plug left Rins to secure a ride for LCR Honda for the 2023 season. Yet the switch to a satellite Honda bike proved disastrous and he would only contest seven of the 20 rounds. Rins shattered his lower right leg in 2023 in the Sprint Race at the Grand Prix of Italy.
Luca Marini suggests Fabio Quartararo led Yamaha as Alex Rins can’t ride their bike at its limit
His injury turmoil ruined any chance Rins had to continue his strong initial adaptation to the RC213V bike, which saw the Barcelona native end 2023 as the one Honda rider to win a race after his success at the Grand Prix of the Americas. It was Rins’ 18th race win in MotoGP yet.
No Honda riders would win a race in 2024, either, as Luca Marini replaced Marc Marquez in their factory line-up alongside Rins’ former Suzuki teammate, Joan Mir. Johann Zarco joined LCR from Pramac to replace Rins, who replaced Franco Morbidelli who even joined Pramac.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Yamaha from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy
Marini often struggled to adapt to the Honda bike as the Japanese brand plus rivals Yamaha laboured behind the Ducati, Aprilia and KTM machines. But the Italian is convinced Honda’s progress in 2024 was better than Yamaha’s, despite their two teams scoring the least points.
Whilst explaining why LCR (86 points) and Honda (35) scored the least points of all MotoGP teams in 2024 – compared to Yamaha on 144 – Marini also inadvertently issued an assertive theory for why Rins was dominated by Fabio Quartararo over their first term as teammates.
He said, via Crash: “We were always a step behind because they started from a much higher point than us. We gained a lot, we reduced the gap but, still, not at the same level as them.
“And I think because also they developed the bike during the season. They were not stuck and they kept working a lot. During the season the bike improved, like our bike.
“I think we made more improvements than Yamaha. But they started from a higher point than us, especially with Quartararo who knows very well the Yamaha and is able to bring the bike to the limit. And, for sure, it suits perfectly his riding style.
“He has much more knowledge of the bike and always his performance is better than us – always, maybe not, but most of the time.”
Alex Rins endured his career-worst MotoGP season in 2024 after joining Yamaha
Rins’ first season with Yamaha in 2024 proved to be his career-worst campaign in MotoGP to date, as Quartararo led the Japanese team with 113 of their 144 points to take 13th place in the riders’ championship. Rins finished the season in P18 with 31 points from 17/20 rounds.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Fabio Quartararo from net worth to career stats
Injuries again forced Rins to sit out Grand Prix over 2024 yet only in 2022 when he contested 19 races had he battled in more in any season since 2019. But due to Rins’ inability to match Quartararo on Yamaha’s bike, he even scored the least points of his MotoGP career in 2024.
Rins further failed to win a Grand Prix last year and, for the first time since his rookie term in 2017 with Suzuki, even failed to make any Grand Prix podium. Winning the Grand Prix of the Americas for LCR Honda mainly assured his 2023 season eclipsed Rins’ first year at Yamaha.
Quartararo further dominated Rins in their head-to-head battles as teammates at Yamaha in 2024. The 2021 MotoGP champion with the Japanese brand headed his Spanish partner for Grand Prix results 12-5, qualifying 13-4, points-scoring finishes 12-8 and Sprint Races 5-0.
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