Official: "Great asset" Alex Rins signs with Yamaha for MotoGP 2024
Rins will take over from Franco Morbidelli and ride alongside 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo.
A five-time race winner for Suzuki, Rins switched to LCR Honda this season after the Hamamatsu factory's shock MotoGP exit and sensationally ended HRC's victory drought at COTA.
But Rins' next best race finish is just ninth place and the 27-year-old, currently recovering from a broken leg at Mugello, has been frustrated by the slow progress of new parts to the satellite LCR garage.
Although the Spaniard's HRC deal was for two seasons, it is understood he had an exit clause in the case of a factory team offer.
Like the GSX-RR, Yamaha's M1 uses an Inline engine configuration rather than the V4 layout of the Honda, Ducati, KTM and Aprilia machines.
“We are delighted that Alex is joining the Yamaha line-up, and we warmly welcome him to the Yamaha MotoGP group," said Yamaha Racing managing director Lin Jarvis.
“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.”
Rins' Yamaha agreement appears to be a single-year deal, which would put him equal with the end-of-2024 expiry date for all the other factory MotoGP rider contracts.
Jack Miller and Maverick Vinales are currently in contention to become the first rider to win 'MotoGP' races on three different brands of bike, a feat Rins will also now be pursuing in 2024.
However, there is plenty of work to do, with Yamaha currently the only manufacturer behind Honda in the constructors' standings, while Quartararo and Morbidelli sit ninth and eleventh in the riders' championship.
Yamaha's last race victory was by Quartararo at the 2022 German MotoGP, over one year ago.
Morbidelli is expected to join a satellite Ducati team next season.
