Alex Rins has experienced an emotional season between his success in Austin, the only one for Honda this year, and his serious right leg injury at Mugello, the consequences of which are still being felt five months later.
The Spaniard fractured his tibia and fibula, requiring surgery twice in the days following the accident. He then followed a long convalescence, during which one part of his foot was very painful, while the other was totally numb. Having returned to a large-displacement motorbike in September, he tried to return to MotoGP in Japan, but had to give up after the first free practice session.
Two weeks later, Rins contested the Indonesian Grand Prix, taking a stoic ninth place, but the following weekend, in Australia, the pain became too much and he had to withdraw again on Saturday morning.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Alex Rins, Team LCR Honda
A new operation was necessary for a hernia and compartment syndrome, which forced him to miss out on the two weekends in Thailand and Malaysia. But he will also miss the Qatar Grand Prix, which will take place this weekend. Rins will be able to reunite with his team in Valencia, for the last weekend on the Honda before moving on to the Yamaha next year.
“While we are in Qatar, he will have to carry out an exam,” explained Lucio Cecchinello, owner of the LCR team to the official MotoGP website. “It will take place during the Lusail weekend or the Monday of Valencia week. We’ll know more from then on. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and we’ll see what the outcome of the exam will be.”
This summer, during one of his visits to the paddock while he was still recovering, Alex Rins declared that there was no point in racing when he still felt too weak, hoping to return as soon as possible to help LCR.
As their separation approached, Cecchinello never doubted the Spaniard’s desire to ride the Honda in Valencia: “He’s bored! (laughs, ed). She told me ‘Lucio, I would really like to go back, I’m bored at home’. Clearly, he has a fantastic family, a wonderful child, but he is a racer, he would like to be on the track.”
If Rins could not race in Valencia, it would mean that no race was held this year with the entire starting grid present, given the many injuries. While waiting for this potential return, Iker Lecuona will race in Lusail, after having already replaced his compatriot at Silverstone, the Red Bull Ring, Barcelona and Sepang. Stefan Bradl, Honda tester, instead took his place at Assen, Buddh and Motegi.
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