LCR Honda rider Alex Rins back in racing action after four months of injury: P9 in the Indonesian Grand Prix means far more to him than the seven world championship points
Comeback successful at second attempt: Alex Rins made a successful return to racing in the 2023 MotoGP season last weekend in Indonesia, having been forced to abandon his comeback prematurely at the previous Japan weekend
Rins was out of action for almost four months after crashing his LCR Honda badly in the sprint of the Italy weekend at Mugello on 10 June, suffering a double fracture to his right leg.
The tibia and fibula were broken, which is why Rins missed seven race weekends completely. At the end of September, he wanted to make his comeback for the Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi, but had to abandon this attempt after the Friday practice sessions because the pain was still too great when riding.
Now last weekend, Rins managed the complete weekend at the Grand Prix of Indonesia in Mandalika in great heat. In Sunday’s race, he finished in P9. The returnee was thus the best-placed of the four Honda riders in the field and scored World Championship points for the first time since his Austin victory on 16 April. He expressed his satisfaction accordingly.
27 laps survived in heat – problems after chequered flag
“After all these months at home, without racing, but with therapies in the gym, the result is worth more to me than a ninth place,” said Rins, pointing out, “For me it was like a podium. After months in hospital, we overcame all the difficult circumstances.”
However, Rins also admits, “I had big problems getting through the race distance. After 13.14 laps I felt a lot of pain, but at least I was able to keep the pace of low 1’32s. That makes me happy. “
“The biggest problems with my leg,” Rins continued, “was after the chequered flag. Because during the race I was so focused on keeping the pace and the line.” But when he pitted after the out lap, the pain returned. “I couldn’t stand at all after getting off the bike. That’s how sore my muscles were.”
Rins had started from P21 in Mandalika and was therefore last on the grid. In Saturday’s sprint he finished in P18, leaving only Brad Binder behind. The KTM rider had lost a lot of time in a collision with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) through no fault of his own.
In the Grand Prix on Sunday, Rins (again from 21st on the grid) moved up twelve positions. In the process, he did benefit from the one or other drop-out in the field. But that should not diminish the performance of the Spaniard, who had been injured for months.
Who will ride for LCR-Honda in 2024 instead of Rins?
With LCR-Honda, Rins now has five race weekends to go. For the 2024 MotoGP season, he has signed for the Yamaha factory team in the middle of his long injury phase. There, Rins will succeed Franco Morbidelli and thus become Fabio Quartararo’s teammate.
Morbidelli will ride for Pramac-Ducati in 2024 as Jorge Martin’s teammate. The latter’s current teammate Johann Zarco would, as things stand, move to LCR-Honda to succeed Rins.
However, there could still be a change due to the premature Honda departure of Marc Marquez. Because there is now a vacancy in the Honda factory team for 2024, Zarco is one of the candidates. If HRC opts for this scenario, the Frenchman would not start for the LCR team, but for the Repsol-sponsored Honda factory team.
At LCR, Fabio Di Giannantonio could ride instead, whose place at Gresini-Ducati is taken by Marc Marquez. So far, it is only confirmed that Marquez will switch to Gresini. Who will succeed him in the Honda factory team remains to be seen. Apart from Zarco, Miguel Oliveira, who currently rides for RNF-Aprilia, is also a candidate.
