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MotoGP Jerez: Rins confident and aiming for more

Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins heads into his first home race of 2022, at Jerez, as joint leader in the MotoGP Championship standings.

While Portimao didn’t produce a podium for the Spaniard, it was a stand-out race from the back of the grid to fourth at the flag that will be talked about for many years to come.

“Yeah, for sure it was not that easy to recover all these positions, but you know, we were lucky that I took the exterior line and I was able to recover a lot of positions there,” Rins explained on his breathtaking opening lap. "I also take that risk, because usually some riders entry on the first corner, they are going a little bit away but we were lucky that nobody was going away. So this one allows me to keep with the same line and to arrive into the next corner and also releasing a little bit the brakes and recovering good positions.

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“Gives me a good confidence, now we are in Jerez, a track that I really like a lot,” he continued, ominously for the riders around him.

“Last year we had a small crash on corner six then I did all the race with just one wing and the pace was not that bad, so let's see. Let's see what awaits Jerez for us this weekend and then let's try to do the same as last weekend.”

While Andalucia’s Angel Nieto Circuit hosts the first of four races across the Spanish regions, its the first for the southern track with returning fans.

“Yeah, this is super nice,” Rins said of the home support. “I mean already yesterday I was cycling out of the circuit and I already start to see some fans with their motorbikes, with the campers, so this is super good. This is one track that a lot of riders are going fast, is the first Spanish GP so will be difficult, also for the level that we found on MotoGP this year, so we will try to give our 110 per cent.

“For me, I think can be a race with many riders from the front as the previous race was,” he continued. “Last year’s race here everybody was so close, just in the end Jack [Miller] take a bit of advantage. But I think this year the category of MotoGP is quite close, everybody's quite close.”

With Rins now level on points to reigning champion Fabio Quartararo, after the Frenchman’s domination in Portugal last weekend, he is tipped to be one of the main protagonists int eh title challenge. Not least by the Yamaha man himself.

“Well, for sure, it's a pleasure that an actual world champion think on me for the world title,” Rins admitted. “For sure we will give our 100 per cent. I mean, we only did five races, this is the longest championship ever in MotoGP. I hope that in the last period of this championship, we are still there fighting!”

Despite sitting 26 points ahead of teammate, and 2020 Champion Joan Mir, Rins assures there is no preferential treatment in the Hamamatsu garage.

“Well, it depends on the team,” he commented. “If it's important to be the number one or not. I think Suzuki is not the team that has a number one rider or number two rider. I try to work in my side as much as possible and I think Joan is also working on his side, and in this case Suzuki try to give same for both riders.

“I remember last year that Suzuki bring a new chassis, just one and for sure it makes sense that the first rider on the statistics uses first. I don't think I'm the first rider or the second one. I received the same approach as Joan I think, and that's all. For sure it's important to beat your teammate, as a rider you want to beat your teammate always but as I said Suzuki doesn't have first or second. I think.”

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