Alex Rins hampered by strange "huge stone impact" at Qatar MotoGP

Alex Rins delivered a gritty ride to salvage twelfth in the Qatar MotoGP despite being struck by a stone mid-race and falling deep into the pack.

Starting ninth, the Monster Yamaha rider held his position early on but was soon caught in the thick of a fierce midfield battle.

At one stage, riders from 6th to 19th were separated by less than 0.7s.

Alex Rins struck by 'painful' stone at Qatar MotoGP

Then came what he would later describe on social media as a "huge stone impact" on his arm.

"I had a better start than [the Sprint], but it was still a tough race, especially because I was hit by a stone in the middle of the straight on lap 7,” Rins said.

“It really hurt, to the point that I did think about going into the box because it was really painful.

“But I gave it everything.”

Rins found himself back in 15th with five laps to go, as he fought with Enea Bastianini and Ai Ogura.

Despite the arm pain, Rins regrouped in the final laps, pouncing for 14th, then hunting down Brad Binder to snatch 13th in the final sector.

“Ogura was doing his race, but I was stuck behind him,” Rins said.

“When he made a mistake, I overtook him, and luckily also Binder in the second-last corner, so I still finished P13.

“It later became P12 after the penalty handed to Maverick [Vinales]."

Team director Massimo Meregalli praised Rins’ determination: “Alex was in pain, which for sure didn't help him, but he rallied.”

Team-mate Fabio Quartararo, who qualified on the front row, finished in seventh place after the demotion of Vinales.