After numerous rumors, now the official has arrived. Alex Rins has joined the LCR team for the next two years after Suzuki’s departure from MotoGP at the end of the 2022 season.
The Spaniard, as well as his teammate and former world champion Joan Mir, found himself without a bike for 2023 when Suzuki, surprisingly, announced the interruption of the MotoGP program, also taking Dorna herself by surprise.
Rins has been joined by several teams in recent weeks, including Gresini and Aprilia. In the end, the Spaniard found himself having to choose between having a Ducati from the Gresini team with the 2022 specifications or a Honda factory managed by Cecchinello’s team.
Alex Rins, Suzuki MotoGP Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
This last option was the one preferred by Rins and today the official agreement has arrived.
“I am delighted that Alex Rins is an LCR Honda Castrol rider in 2023”, declared a satisfied Lucio Cecchinello. “We have just finalized the contract with the three parties involved and we are happy to announce it. Rins has a lot of experience, is fast and has regularly on the podium. With his experience and knowledge, he can help the engineers in development. We need to improve our package so that we can fight for podiums again in the future. “
The LCR team must now name Álex Rins’ teammate, and the only clue available is the driver’s nationality. This will likely be Japanese due to the presence of the sponsor Idemetsu.
Takaaki Nakagami could be confirmed, but at Assen Lucio Cecchinello admitted that the signing of Ai Ogura is also being evaluated.
“Honda thinks the time has come to change, to bring the young Ogura to MotoGP, but the decision has not yet been made 100%,” Cecchinello told Canal +.
Rins will thus have the same materials available to both Marc Marquez and his current Suzuki teammate Joan Mir. The 2020 world champion has not yet been announced by the Japanese manufacturer, but everything suggests that it is only a matter of time before.
Alex Rins, on the other hand, took over from Alex Marquez in the LCR team. Marc’s brother will leave Honda to get on the Gresini team’s Ducati and share the garage with Fabio Di Giannantonio.
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