Alex Rins admits his 2023 MotoGP win at the Circuit of the Americas was “something special” but wants “to focus on the task at hand” for this weekend’s race.
Last term’s shock triumph was the highlight of Honda’s campaign as Rins took the marque’s first win in MotoGP since 2021 in his third start for the LCR team.
Despite a very promising start in Honda colours, Rin then suffered serious leg fractures two rounds later, which saw him miss several races as he recovered.
For the 2024 season, Rins changed teams once more to join the factory Yamaha on a one-year deal, partnering with 2021 World Champion Fabio Quartararo.
After Marc Marquez, Rins is the second most successful rider at the fast-flowing COTA circuit, having won four times at the venue – including twice in MotoGP.
The Spaniard’s success 12 months ago means he is the sole rider to win with two manufacturers at the track and he is enthused about this weekend’s return.
“Of course, I’m very happy to be back at COTA. It’s a track that I really like, and last year’s victory was something special,” Rins said.
“I’m looking forward to this GP, it’s one of my favourites. But rather than spending too much time reminiscing, I want to focus on the task at hand.”
Despite Yahama’s current struggles making a repeat win improbable, the Spaniard could become the first rider to win MotoGP races with three different manufacturers.
However, Yamaha’s 2024 season took a big blow as its private test in Portimao was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions in the build-up to the COTA weekend.
“It was a real shame that the private test in Portimao was cancelled. We were very unlucky with the weather,” Rins said.
“It meant we had to adjust our plans, and we will work on my bike’s settings this weekend instead.”
