Alex Rins signs with LCR Honda in MotoGP

With Suzuki to withdraw from MotoGP at the end of this season, Alex Rins, one of Team Suzuki Ecstar’s two riders, has found a new home with Honda Racing Corporation and will ride for Lucio Cecchinello’s LCR Honda Castrol team in 2023 and 2024.

Announced on 19 July, the deal with LCR Honda will see Rins not only join a new team, but also tackle new machinery in the form of Honda’s RC213V. Since making his premier class debut five years ago, the Spaniard has only ridden a GSX-RR for the Suzuki factory team.

“I am very happy to be joining the LCR Honda Team,” Rins said. “Changing team and bike is a challenge but I am ready to give 100 per cent and to put into practice everything that I’ve learnt during my years in the MotoGP class.

“Lucio and Honda’s trust have been crucial for me in deciding to take on this challenge with this factory. I would like to thank them for this opportunity.”

Lucio Cecchinello, LCR Honda Team Manager, added: “I am delighted to announce that Álex Rins will be the LCR Honda Castrol rider in 2023.

“Rins is an experienced rider, a fast rider and a podium finisher. This wealth of experience, coupled with Rins’ ability to give the precise suggestions to his technicians, as I’ve heard, will surely help us to improve our bike package, aiming to fight for more podiums.”

Rins started his grand prix career in 2012 in the Moto3 class, achieving Rookie of the Year on debut and just losing the Moto3 World Championship to Maverick Vinales the following year. Moving up to Moto2 in 2015, Rins was again Rookie of the Year and finished runner-up in the championship on debut, followed by third overall in the 2016 season before joining MotoGP in 2017.

At time of writing, Rins has achieved three race wins in almost six years in MotoGP, most recently at Aragon in 2020. The 26-year-old from Barcelona has also achieved 12 other MotoGP podiums, the most recent of which was a second place at this year’s Grand Prix of the Americas. Rins’s best championship placing in the premier class to date was third overall in 2020.

Rins replaces Alex Marquez at LCR Honda, who signed with Gresini Ducati back in June.