Álex Rins joined LCR Honda for the 2023 MotoGP season after Suzuki ended their project, in which the rider had been involved since his debut in the premier class in 2017. However, it was a very challenging year as he was almost always absent due to injury… yet he was the only Honda rider to win a race.
The season started well for Rins, who had better results than other Japanese manufacturer riders with two top-ten finishes in Portugal and Argentina… before being the undisputed winner at the GP of the Americas. In the Austin round, he also secured second place in the Sprint race, marking the peak of his season and Honda’s.
After the season, Rins proudly recalled this triumph, rejecting the idea that he will be forgotten by Honda: ‘Let’s say, luckly I’m the only one to win this year with Honda, this is super nice. We did it in a sattelite team, so this is so important. I think they consider a lot. When I came back I felt a little bit more of support of Ken [Kawauchi], this is true – more than before. I’m proud of that’.
Followed by two retirements at the beginning of the European phase of the championship. Then came the fateful Italian GP, where a spectacular crash in the Sprint race resulted in leg fractures for Rins. From then until the end of the year, Rins only competed in two more rounds.
The first attempt to return was in Japan, but he didn’t have the physical conditions to complete the round. Later, in Indonesia, #42 faced the adversities and achieved an encouraging ninth place. However, in Australia, he suffered intense pain in his injured leg, leading to a new surgery.
As a result, he missed the rest of the Asian races but returned in Valencia for the farewell at LCR Honda – he had already known since early August that he would join Monster Energy Yamaha in 2024. The Valencia race didn’t go well, ending with a retirement.
Undoubtedly, 2023 was a tough year for Rins, yet in the few races he participated in, he proved to be one of Honda’s strongest riders – in a year where the manufacturer was one of the least competitive in the field. His 19th position in the championship doesn’t reflect the potential he demonstrated in the few races he contested.
Increasingly recovered from the injuries suffered in June, the Spanish rider is now preparing to return as a factory rider for Yamaha – a team that has also been far from the desired competitiveness.
Álex Rins’ 2023 season:
Portuguese GP: 13th Sprint/10th GP – 12th in the championship
Argentinian GP: 15th Sprint/9th GP – 12th in the championship
Americas GP: 2nd Sprint/1st GP – 3rd in the championship
Spanish GP: 13th Sprint/DNF GP – 8th in the championship
French GP: 11th Sprint/DNF GP – 10th in the championship
Italian GP: DNF Sprint/Did not participate in GP – 11th in the championship
German GP: Absent due to injury – 13th in the championship
Dutch GP: Absent due to injury – 13th in the championship
British GP: Absent due to injury – 14th in the championship
Austrian GP: Absent due to injury – 14th in the championship
Catalan GP: Absent due to injury – 15th in the championship
San Marino GP: Absent due to injury – 15th in the championship
Indian GP: Absent due to injury – 15th in the championship
Japanese GP: Withdrew after FP1 – 17th in the championship
Indonesian GP: 18th Sprint/9th GP – 17th in the championship
Australian GP: Withdrew after FP1 – 17th in the championship
Thai GP: Absent due to injury – 17th in the championship
Malaysian GP: Absent due to injury – 18th in the championship
Qatar GP: Absent due to injury – 18th in the championship
Valencia GP: 19th Sprint/DNF GP – 19th in the championship