Rins will keep "chipping away" until MotoGP title hopes end
Alex Rins says he'll keep "chipping away" until his MotoGP title hopes have vanished in the remaining two rounds, after finishing second in the European Grand Prix
Alex Rins says he'll keep "chipping away" until his MotoGP title hopes have vanished in the remaining two rounds, after finishing second in the European Grand Prix.
The Suzuki rider led for 16 of the first 17 laps in Sunday's race before surrendering the lead to his team-mate Joan Mir, who went on to score his first MotoGP victory.
That has allowed Mir to open up a 37-point championship lead with just 50 remaining from the final two races, with Rins joint-second in the standings now with Fabio Quartararo.
An outsider in the championship having been 32 points behind Mir ahead of Sunday's European GP, Rins hasn't given up on his hopes despite the unfavourable maths.
"The maths says 50 [points remain], these are the points at stake," Rins pointed out. "Joan is having a great season, with many podiums, but why not [go for the title still]?
"We are going to continue chipping away until the end."
Rins lost the lead to Mir on lap 17 when he ran wide into the Turn 11 right-hander - a result of knocking down to first gear instead of second.
From there, Mir was able to open out his advantage to over a second at one stage and kept Rins at bay through to the chequered flag.
"Well, I think it was amazing to finish again on the podium," Rins said after his fourth rostrum result in five races.
"We took 20 good points for the championship. Let's see these last two races, but I feel quite comfortable with the bike.
"We did a really good job in a lot of parts of the race and we finished in second position.
"For sure I would have liked first position, but I made a small mistake on corner 11 with the gear and this cost me the first position.
"I tried to hold this gap with Joan, but he was able to ride a bit faster compared to me. But we are on the good way."
Suzuki now stands on the edge of scoring its first MotoGP crown since 2000 with Mir, but Rins says no discussions of team orders have been had and both riders have simply been warned to avoid "ugly fights" in the final races.
"In the end, they made it clear to us: you have to be respectful on track, without ugly fights or elbows," he added.
"But there we are, we continue to fight mathematically for the world championship."
Suzuki's first 1-2 in the premier class since 1982 means the Japanese marque also holds the lead in the teams' and the constructors' championship and is heading towards stripping Honda of all three titles it won last year.
"Irregular" MotoGP season "hurts a lot" - Quartararo
Quartararo: Suzuki MotoGP riders look "unbeatable"
2022 MotoGP title fight now “very tight”, says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
Pol Espargaro doesn’t think Honda is reacting to MotoGP woes
Pol Espargaro isn’t sure the problems Honda is facing at races in MotoGP this season are being relayed back to Japan as “we’re not getting the material we need”.
Marc Marquez to return to MotoGP paddock at Austrian GP for Honda progress update
Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix to check up on Honda’s progress as he continues his own rehabilitation.
Rins “destroyed” after “not normal” grip issues end Silverstone MotoGP win hopes
Suzuki’s Alex Rins says he was “destroyed” after a “not normal” drop in grip shuffled him from the lead of the MotoGP British Grand Prix to seventh by the end.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special