Alex Rins: "Starting so far back, a fifth or sixth would be a good result"

The Suzuki rider could not close a fast enough lap during the first three free practices of the weekend to avoid, for the third time so far this year, the trance of going through Q1. Once in it, as happened last week in Portimao, he could not make the cut either, although this time it was by very little, so he will start 14th, nine positions ahead of the Portuguese round.

A result that will make life very difficult for Alex Rins if he wants to stay at the top of the general standings, where he is now sharing the lead with Fabio Quartararo, who starts second in the race. In addition, the characteristics of the Jerez track have nothing to do with the wide first corners of Portimao, where the Suzuki driver forged a comeback that some already classify as legendary, not in vain Rins finished fourth by climbing 19 positions.

“It was strange not being able to improve the time with the second tire in Q1, but well, we have to be optimistic if we think that we finished much better classified (14) than in Portugal (23), that’s clear. The handicap is that, Indeed, this track does not have so many points to overtake”, explained Rins this Saturday in Jerez.

“We have worked a lot with the used tire all weekend for the race pace and it is not bad at all, of course it cannot be compared to the pace of Fabio or Pecco Bagnaia, because they have come out with a fresher tire in FP4, but ours is pretty good too”.

“Finishing on the podium will be difficult, we have to be realistic, but let’s see if we can opt for a fifth or sixth position, starting from so far back I think it would be a good result”.

The heat has been growing over the weekend in Jerez and hellish temperatures are expected for Sunday at race time, something that will force us to manage the tires, a situation in which Rins has always been very fine.

“It is not a track where degradation is very noticeable, here you put the bike straight very quickly and the edge does not overheat so much. I do not know what Pecco is planning to do, but Fabio will surely try to push from the beginning to try to escape, and I think Bagnaia, too. The time of managing the slow race like Dovi did has already passed into history”.

“We will have to make a good start, a good first lap and see if we can overtake some riders, although it will not be easy. What is certain is that we have many riders in front who do not have any rhythm, we have been analyzing it with my coach (Manu Cazeaux), but we will have to find a place to pass them”.

Rins was asked if he could name the drivers who didn’t have, or did have, race pace.

“From what we have been seeing, Marco Bezzecchi, Maverick Viñales, Jorge Martín… the ones with the best rhythm are Fabio, Pecco, Joan Mir, their rhythm is not bad, similar to ours, and Aleix Espargaró, he has a very good rhythm as well. The rest have no more than us.”

Another one who doesn’t seem to have the pace to fight for the podium either is Marc Márquez, who starts fourth, Rins rules him out.

“I think so, Marc [Márquez] doesn’t have a very good pace from what he has shown, I’m sure he’ll be there fighting because he’s a tough rider, but I don’t think for the victory”.

“In Portimao I improvised the start a bit, you can study how to make a start, I always watch the video of the start of the previous year in each race, but what is clear is that here there is not as much space to start as in Portimao”.

With such a backward position and on such a difficult circuit, the question is whether to see the Alex Rins of 2021, risking and taking many falls, or the more leisurely and calculating of 2022, thinking about the championship.

“I’ll be whoever I have to be, it’s important to get points, but we’re going to go race by race and in this one, like in all of them, we’re going to give our best,” settled the Barcelona native.

Alex Rins, Team Suzuki MotoGP