MotoGP: Alex Rins, back on the title charge

It is safe to say that Alex Rins has had a torrid start to the 2020 season, injuring himself during qualifying at the opening round of the season.

Before the 2020 season begun, Alex Rins was named as being one of the title contenders for this season, this was completely ruined by his fast crash at turn 11 at Jerez which saw him fly through the gravel trap at high speed, dislocating and fracturing his shoulder. The injury’s severity saw him miss the season opener.

However, like a true racer, Alex Rins gritted his teeth and raced just a week later at Andalucia, he finished the race in an impressive P10 with the injury, working hard to stay on the bike saying after the race, “During the race, I was feeling pain, step by step, lap by lap I was feeling more pain and the last seven laps I suffered, I suffered on the bike.” But he finished the race impressively.

Since then, Alex Rins has not finished outside of the top 10 taking a phenomenal P4 at Brno and P6 at the Styrian GP. Rins’ best race of the season came at the first Austrian Grand Prix, Rins had incredible pace during the race and was dicing through the pack before arriving at the front, leading the race ahead of Andrea Dovizioso. This isn’t to say he was healed though, he was in pain in the same weekend saying, “in the first laps I was screaming into my helmet because of the pain.” For Rins to arrive at the front following this is incredibly impressive.

Rins said after the race that he believed he could win the race saying, “Everything was going very well, I honestly felt like winning the race, this feeling, I have not felt it many times, but I really felt [that I could] to win.

In the restart, I felt really good with the bike and the rear tyre, and when I was behind Dovizioso I knew I had the pace to lead, so I overtook him where I felt most confident in corner 6. But then I lost the front and crashed, which was a real shame.

It is clear to see that Rins is improving race by race, these last few weekends have given the Spaniard time to recuperate and improve his fitness once again to continue his title charge in 2020, Rins currently sits in 13th in the standings just 41 points behind Fabio Quartararo. Those lost 25 points from Austria hurting Rins’ title chances.

Featured image – www.motogp.com