Yamaha Sign Alex Rins for the 2024 MotoGP Season as a Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to announce that Alex Rins will be joining the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team for the 2024 season alongside Fabio Quartararo.
Silverstone (UK), 2nd August 2023
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce the signing of Alex Rins. He will be joining Yamaha‘s factory team rider line-up for the 2024 MotoGP season alongside Fabio Quartararo.
The vastly experienced Spaniard has many premier-class and lower-class race victories (6x MotoGP, 4x Moto2, 8x Moto3, 18 in total) and podiums (18x MotoGP, 17x Moto2, 23x Moto3, 58 in total) to his name. His vast experience and undeniable talent make him a fully qualified and welcome addition to the Yamaha rider line-up.
Following Rins‘ leg injury sustained in the 2023 Italian GP Sprint, MotoGP fans the world over eagerly anticipate his return to action. He underwent two surgeries and is working hard on making a full recovery.
LIN JARVIS
Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing
“We are delighted that Alex is joining the Yamaha line-up, and we warmly welcome him to the Yamaha MotoGP group.
“We expect Alex to be a great asset. He has vast experience as a MotoGP rider and is known to be a natural talent and a multi-time MotoGP class race winner. He already has experience with two other MotoGP manufacturers and has ridden bikes with similar characteristics to the YZR-M1, which should help him adapt quickly to our bike. His win in COTA earlier this year underlines his speed, hunger, and determination to succeed.
“Alex has been away from the MotoGP paddock for a while due to the injury he sustained at Mugello, but we are confident that he should be fully recovered and up to speed for the 2024 season. We are really looking forward to working with him and believe that he will collaborate well with Fabio and enhance the total performance of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team.”
Alex Rins, Personal Profile
Date of Birth: 08-12-1995
Place of Birth: Barcelona
Nationality: Spanish
Height: 176cm
Weight: 72 kg
Grand Prix Debut: 2012 Qatar GP
MotoGP Debut: 2017 Qatar GP
First GP Win: 2013 Americas GP (Moto3)
First Premier Class Win: 2019 Americas GP
GP Wins: 18 (6x MotoGP, 4x Moto2, 8x Moto3)
GP Podiums: 58 (18x MotoGP, 17x Moto2, 23x Moto3)
Poles: 17 (4x Moto2, 13x Moto3)
Alex Rins, Racing Career
2023 MotoGP World Championship (13th – 47 points) [Injured since the Italian GP Sprint]
2022 MotoGP World Championship (7th – 173 points)
2021 MotoGP World Championship (13th – 99 points)
2020 MotoGP World Championship (3rd – 139 points)
2019 MotoGP World Championship (4th – 205 points)
2018 MotoGP World Championship (5th– 169 points)
2017 MotoGP World Championship (16th – 59 points)
2016 Moto2 World Championship (3rd – 214 points)
2015 Moto2 World Championship (2nd – 234 points)
2014 Moto3 World Championship (3rd – 237 points)
2013 Moto3 World Championship (2nd – 311 points)
2012 Moto3 World Championship (5th – 141 points)
Alex Rins, Rider Biography
Alex Rins won the CEV in 2011 before moving up to the Moto3 World Championship in 2012 and gaining the title of Rookie of the Year. A title contender down to the last corner in 2013, with more wins and podiums, the Spaniard was just beaten to the crown by compatriot Maverick Viñales.
After a more difficult 2014 affected slightly by injury, Rins moved to Moto2 for 2015 and was Rookie of the Year, taking two wins in his debut season in the intermediate class. A title challenger in 2016, the former National Champion finished the season in third after more impressive wins and podiums and moved up to MotoGP in 2017 with Team Suzuki Ecstar.
Despite some trouble with injury and missed races, Rins was impressive and took some top-five results as a rookie – a good springboard for his sophomore season. He went on to take five podiums in 2018 and consistently fight at the front: another solid foundation for 2019. The next step was claiming a maiden MotoGP victory at the Americas GP before repeating the feat in Silverstone.
2020 was another outstanding year for the Spaniard as he claimed victory in the Aragon GP as well as podium finishes in the Catalan, Teruel, and European GPs, helping him achieve third overall in the Championship.
2021, however, was a year to forget for Rins, with crashes at crucial times costing him dearly. He had opportunities on no fewer than six occasions but only tasted podium success once, at the British GP.
The Spaniard bounced back in 2022, delivering some superb performances despite real adversity. Top of the championship after five rounds, Suzuki‘s planned exit hit the team hard, resulting in a dip in form. But magnificent wins at Phillip Island and Valencia saw Rins finish the season as the in-form man, giving him great confidence heading into a new adventure with LCR Honda.
He started this year strong, securing a dominant win at COTA, but a leg injury sustained in the Italian GP Sprint temporarily halted his 2023 campaign. Rins underwent two surgeries, missing the Italian, German, and Dutch GP.
More, from another press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:
Yamaha-Morbidelli Partnership to End After 2023 MotoGP Season
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces that Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP and Franco Morbidelli will go their separate ways after the 2023 MotoGP season.
Silverstone (UK), 2nd August 2023
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces that its partnership with Franco Morbidelli will be discontinued at the end of 2023 when Morbidelli will move on to new racing challenges.
Since Morbidelli joined Yamaha in 2019, the Italian achieved six podiums: three victories, one second, and two third places. He also claimed two pole positions and was MotoGP Vice World Champion in 2020. After a short break due to a knee injury during the 2021 season, Morbido made a comeback at the San Marino GP as part of the Yamaha Factory Racing Team. In total he contested 74 GPs as a Yamaha rider so far.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., Yamaha Motor Racing, and the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team are extremely grateful for Morbidelli‘s contributions, never-diminishing motivation, and his positive mindset. They look forward to sharing more memorable moments during the remaining 12 MotoGP rounds of 2023.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. wishes Morbidelli the very best in his future racing endeavours and reconfirms Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team‘s full support for him for the remainder of the season to end their partnership on a high note.
LIN JARVIS
Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing
“First and foremost, I want to thank Franky for his hard work and dedication ever since he started with the Factory Team and also long before that when he was a Satellite rider for Yamaha. The Yamaha and Morbidelli partnership led to some great results, including an outstanding vice-champion title in 2020.
“It‘s a shame that the last two years didn‘t play out the way we both wanted and hoped for. We discussed the possibilities to continue our partnership, but ultimately we decided that 2024 would be a moment to make a change, both for Yamaha and for Franky.
“The team will proceed to fully support Franky in every way we can to close out our time spent together in the best possible way.”
