Alex Rins: Crutchlow “crucial test”, Yamaha “going to be back”

After his own test hopes were thwarted by bad weather in Portimao, then a miserable COTA MotoGP weekend for both Yamahas, Alex Rins says that Cal Crutchlow’s upcoming test at Catalunya will be ‘crucial’.

A front-row qualifier and shock winner of last year’s Austin round for LCR Honda, Rins was left just 15th on the grid for Monster Yamaha.

The Spaniard went on to finish 16th in the Sprint, directly behind team-mate Fabio Quartararo, before crashing out of 17th when a set-up gamble backfired in Sunday's grand prix.

Ahead of only the four Honda riders after Friday practice, Yamaha elected to use the remainder of the COTA weekend to experiment with set-up in the hope of aiding future development.

While Rins failed to finish the GP, Quartararo crossed the line in 12th and was 13 seconds slower than his 2023 COTA race time (3rd place).

“We are gathering information. We are just doing laps, giving our best,” Rins said.

“There is a crucial test that Cal [Crutchlow] is going to do in the next few days in Barcelona. [Yamaha] are bringing things and let's see if it can help us to improve the bike.

“We are still far but we need to continue working. I believe in the project for sure. It's just some races that we are going to struggle but then we are going to be back.”

Rins confirmed that he had hoped to test alongside Crutchlow in Barcelona but it was ruled out logistically.

“We had planned to go to Montmelo to ride with Cal, but our bikes won’t arrive [back from Texas in time]. It’s too close,” he said.

Rins will thus have to wait until the official Jerez MotoGP test, held on Monday April 29, directly after the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

Access to technical concessions means Yamaha, like Honda, is free to change all areas of its MotoGP machine during the season.