load the audio player
Alex Rins managed to shoot a Suzuki from the top of the podium. The Barcelona rider has always been loyal to the Hamamatsu factory, and his dedication to the development of the bike is undeniable. Perhaps this is why he was one of the most affected by the team’s exit from the championship.
However, Rins was able to score two wins in the last leg of the seasonwinning in Australia and Valencia.
“It was great to finish the season like this,” declared the Spaniard at the press conference after the last race of the campaign. “I couldn’t aspire to more. I dominated from start to finish, but it was difficult to manage.”
Flushing He called the weekend “emotional, physically and mentally”. Anyway, managed to finish in fifth place, something “very important” for Sunday. “On the grid I was waving to the mechanics and crying, but at a certain point I said to myself ‘Alex, focus, you have a race ahead of you'”.
Said and done, he put himself in first place before reaching the first corner, and he did not break away from the first position until he saw the checkered flag. “I couldn’t afford to make mistakes, because Jorge Martin and then Brad Binder came very quickly.”
“It was very special to see all the members of the team,” he said. “I don’t have much more to say. This afternoon or tomorrow I jump into another garage and open a new chapter in my life, and I’m excited, but sad at the same time. I have been with Suzuki for six seasons, I have learned a lot, we have won together. , lost together, cried together, but it was something that was not in my hands and as I said on Tuesday I gave my 100% and I am satisfied. “
“I think I’ve done a good job for Suzuki, and we’ve built a competitive and winning bike,” he said shortly after. “We worked hard and what they told us is that they were closing the racing division because they had other plans for the future, something related to the environment. I totally respect the decision. It’s not easy, because we have a competitive bike, and this year It was incredible. But it’s his decision and I can’t help but respect it. I’ve been given a lot of things, and that’s what it is. ”
Flushing He had already declared days ago that he feels at peace with himself, because he knows he has given everything. “I feel very proud, because I think we deserved it.” “I have already asked for the bike, because it is something very special. When I entered the parc fermé and turned to see the rear tire I saw all the mechanics’ names written by hand and I was overwhelmed with emotion,” he said. , referring to the special decoration Suzuki wore in Valencia.
“It struck me a lot [la decisión del equipo], because competing without having any contracts is not easy. I fell, I broke my hand … nothing was going right at that moment. But I worked a lot at home with my psychologist to be able to concentrate 100%. It wasn’t easy, but we did it. ”
“I think it was the hardest time of my career,” he revealed. “I’ve always had everything more or less under control, but after Jerez I didn’t even know if I would continue racing next year.”
In 2023 will compete with a Honda of the CSF, like Joan Mir. The performance of the RC213V in recent seasons he has left a lot to be desired, but Rins said he wasn’t worried. “I can’t wait to try a new bike, because I’ve been with the same brand for six years and sometimes the changes are positive.”
“In the end, Honda is Honda and they will be able to make a competitive bike. Marc was testing new parts in the last few races and he was there. It’s true that it might not be the best bike on the grid, but Honda is Honda and I’m sure they will be able to make a competitive bike, “he concluded.
