New team, new life. Alex Rins faces the 2024 MotoGP season with a new brand change, after leaving Honda, where he did not feel fully valued, for Yamaha, another manufacturer trying to get out of the back of the grid, and which this year will have the help of the new premier class concession system.
For this reason, the Spanish rider returned to the saddle of the M1 in recent days, on the occasion of the Sepang Shakedown, which was previously reserved for rookies and test riders. It was the first step on a road that Rins hopes will lead to victory, which he achieved with HRC (the only one for the golden wing riders in 2023) and Suzuki. A road that this Monday saw the presentation of Iwata's new bike for this season, before the Sepang test, which will see the participation of all the riders.
After the event, the #42 explained how he felt about the bike during the Malaysian Shakedown, given that the bike already featured several new features, especially from an engine point of view, as promised by Massimo Meregalli at the end of last year.
“I immediately felt very good, the first day I got on the bike at Shakedown,” Rins said while meeting the media, which included Motorsport.com. “I'm very happy to have this feeling because it helps to try things and be fast straight away. I'm happy with how we're working and how we're tackling everything, so we're on the right path.”
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The Catalan also spoke about aerodynamics, an area in which Yamaha has not been particularly generous in the past: “Until last year, yes, they were conservative or didn't find the way. When I saw the Shakedown, I saw that KTM is bringing a lot of things in terms of aerodynamics, a lot of evolutions. We didn't see Ducati or Aprilia. We tried something different, some different wings that help a little to ride, to turn, to have less wheelie on the bike.”
But the conclusion Rins draws is that Yamaha has changed since he made his debut with them in Cheste: “The way Yamaha works now… I felt it was very different compared to the Valencia test. felt very different compared to the Valencia tests. Yes, it was only my first day in the team, but it already felt different, so I'm very happy. The truth is that in Valencia and the first day here in Malaysia, when I got on the bike, I immediately felt good. I immediately felt at ease. It reminds me of the old days, like with the Suzuki.”
Then Rins was asked if the current basic Yamaha is a winning package, and he replied: “We are on the right track. We still have new parts to try, but I think we need a little more base, stability , in terms of electronics and aerodynamics”.
“We are working a lot on the electronics. It's true that now the response of the engine is perhaps not aggressive (as Quartararo said about the new engine). It's faster. That new engine is faster than the one I tried in Valencia. But I can't say much because I haven't had much experience with this bike”, continued the Spaniard, who explained that he didn't do a long run at the Shakedown, while he plans to do so on the third day of testing.
Watch: MotoGP Video | The Yamaha M1 revealed
He then illustrated the progress of his injury, the fracture of his right leg which caused him to miss a good part of the 2023 season: “My leg is much better than in Valencia. I feel almost no pain on the bike. I am therefore very happy of this progress, because we worked very hard during the winter. When I get up, the first steps cost me a little. I don't know if this is due to all the things I have inside. I have a lot of screws. So we still have to wait a a little bit to get them off. But yes, I'm sure I'll be 100%.”
Rins then indicated a clear target for his time at Yamaha: “Of course, the goal is to win. We want to return to the top with Yamaha. I won with Suzuki and Honda, with two different manufacturers. Now I have the chance to win with three. But honestly, it's not something that's always on my mind, because we have other things to think about. I'm sure I'll give my best. I'll go race by race and see what chances we have.”
Finally, he compared his new bike with the Suzuki, a bike that has always been similar to Iwata's: “It's quite similar to the Suzuki in terms of engine, chassis. I found it better in terms of braking stability than to Suzuki. This bike allows me to have greater braking performance”, he concluded.
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