Alex Rins will switch to four-wheel racing in 2027 after losing his seat at Yamaha’s factory MotoGP team.
The six-time grand prix winner announced his decision to step down from motorcycle racing on the eve of this weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix, a little over two months after Yamaha confirmed that he will be dropped from its MotoGP programme at the end of MotoGP’s 1000cc era.
While the 30-year-old didn’t reveal exactly where he would compete next year, he said he is excited about the next chapter of his professional career.
“I will not go to a superbike next year,” he said. “As I told you some races ago, I have a really good, really interesting project in mind that I can’t reveal because it’s not done 100%.
“So, I’m really happy. It was difficult to choose because I spent all my life in MotoGP, in this championship, with many fights, many races and many wins. 14 years more or less [across all classes]. So, I will stop with the two wheels.”
Rins clarified that he had options to race in the World Superbike next year, but he ultimately decided to quit motorcycle racing in favour of a career in four-wheel competition: “I had two possibilities there [in WSBK]. I really want to say thanks to them because they were quite interested in me. But I found another thing that really motivates me more.”
Rins moved up to the premier class with Suzuki in 2017 after a strong junior racing career in which he finished runner-up in both the Moto2 and Moto3 series. In his 10 seasons in MotoGP, he scored six wins and 18 podiums, most of which were with his first employer Suzuki.
Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
A move to LCR Honda in 2023 saw him score a victory in just his third race, but he suffered a serious injury at Mugello that kept him out from the majority of the season.
His three-year stint with Yamaha has yet to yield the results he would have hoped for, with the M1’s declining fortunes and his own struggles following the Mugello injury affecting his performance on track.
“I’ve asked myself a lot whether I’m sad to quit, whether to continue or not, whether to change championships,” he admitted.
“It’s something I’ve been doing all my life, and in the end it’s just the routine you have. My whole life I’ve been preparing to race motorcycles. What’s happening now is complicated, and it’s certainly taken away some of my desire to continue in the world of motorcycles.
“I have to be satisfied with what I’ve achieved. It’s been 14 years here in the MotoGP world championship. There have been many victories, battles in the best sense of the word. I’ve fought for championships in Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP. I haven’t won them all, but I’ve had the opportunity to fight the title in all three categories.
“I asked myself many times whether to continue or not. But the other option is something that motivates me a lot, it’s long-term, and I’m happy.”
Alex Rins, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
However, Rins did not rule out the possibility of returning to motorcycle racing in the future in a limited capacity in similar fashion to Cal Crutchlow.
“What I can’t do is, after so many years, shut the whole thing down completely,” he said. “There are riders who have done that, but the world of motorsports is my life.
“During these years as a professional motorcycle racer, I’ve been doing things with cars. I’ve customised my Jeep and gone out into the desert with a friend; I’ve raced on ice. It’s in our blood. I’ll keep training and practising.”
With Rins leaving and Fabio Quartararo joining Honda, Yamaha will field an all-new line-up next year comprising Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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