Rins thought he lost third in MotoGP standings in Portugal GP slump
Alex Rins admits he "didn't even think to finish third" in the MotoGP standings as he slumped to 15th in the Portuguese Grand Prix due to an incorrect tyre choice
The Suzuki rider came into the 2020 finale just four points down on Petronas SRT's Franco Morbidelli in the battle for runner-up spot in the standings.
But Rins ended up walking away with third as a podium for Morbidelli netted him second in the standings.
The Suzuki rider was one of just four riders to go for the asymmetric hard rear tyre, while the rest went with the harder symmetric option, but he quickly found grip on the left-hand side of the rubber fading.
"I am very happy with how the championship had gone after the ups and downs at the beginning of the year," Rins said.
"It was a shame not to have the opportunity to fight for the constructors' title and for the runner-up [in the riders' table] in the last race for not choosing the rear tyre well.
"At the beginning I was going well, but after a few laps passed I couldn't drive in the left-hand corners.
"I did not even think to finish third in the world championship because of how the race went.
"When I saw that I was losing position and that Pol [Espargaro] was ahead, I thought I was going to finish fourth or fifth.
"So, after how the race went, being third was great news that I found out when I got to the box."
Rins, who was one of nine riders to win a grand prix in 2020, rates his season an 8.5 out of 10 and says the "bad times" he experienced early in the year with his shoulder injury have "made me much stronger".
"I keep the effort that I put in after the injury," he said. "I have learned to fight and the bad times we have experienced in that part of the championship have made me much stronger.
"What I would change is some of the crashes we suffered at Le Mans and Austria , it was the most painful.
"Personally, I would put an 8.5 for the season, we have managed to improve the final result, which was the fourth last year.
"I don't give myself a 10 because that would have been the runner-up, and we haven't achieved it."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Martin’s time with Pramac MotoGP team 'like it or not has come to an end'
Marquez rubs shoulders with the 'big three' in MotoGP race simulation
How MotoGP riders are preparing for the physical stress of sprint races
Rins feels like 2024 Yamaha MotoGP bike “rides me”
Rins "needs to do something different" to Quartararo on Yamaha MotoGP bike
Yamaha “not magicians” as it's left “not happy” after Qatar MotoGP round
Nicky Hayden: Remembering motorsport's much-loved "one-off" five years on
Morbidelli/Rossi relationship won’t change as MotoGP team-mates
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Ocon wants set-up changes after China F1 sprint as "performance left on the side"
MotoGP schedule: When is the next MotoGP race and where will it be held?
Honda MotoGP boss "confused" by "good improvements" not working
Friday favourite: Why Herbert prefers a car he had to wrestle above his F1 winners
Can anyone stop "changed" Bagnaia as Ducati tightens its grip on MotoGP?
The signs that MotoGP's Japanese powerhouses are changing for the better
The other Suzuki signing that could transform Honda's MotoGP form
How the MotoGP paddock has offered refuge to Suzuki's former team
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments