2023-06-03 13:09:42
One of the moments to frame so far in the 2023 season was the victory with which Álex Rins won the Las Americas Grand Prix. The Spanish rider proved to be unbeatable in a land already conquered by him on Suzuki. Since then the results have gone downhill, and Rins has been absent in the last two rounds, adding two consecutive zeros in Spain and France.
In a recent interview published by Speedweek, Rins addresses the peculiar situation that he is experiencing at Honda, with a very different environment compared to his past stage at Suzuki. “Certainly fewer people wait for me when I go into the pits to listen to my comments”, comments the Spaniard about the “biggest difference” to go from an official team to a satellite such as LCR Honda.
“The other difference is that before, every time new things or parts arrived, I also tried them. Now we are more riders and it seems that some of these parts go to the Repsol team, others to me or to Taka”, Rins comments about a particular complaint that other pilots have already shown before, such as Álex Márquez, who occupied his current seat.
Within the team he comments that “the atmosphere is very similar“and what does it feel like”comfortable with the team now”, since he “they received with great affection and are happy to work with me, and I with themSo I think we’re doing a good job”, review.
The pilot drops that “maybe it’s because they don’t have a lot of new parts”, and that in the case of the chassis, for example, had to “press a little” to get it. On this chassis of Marc he has commented that “I did not like anything. We use it in Argentina and also in Texas on Friday, but I prefer mine“, reveals.
In relation to that, asked if he felt “a lack of support from Honda”, his answer is resounding: “Yeah. At first I felt like he was a little bit, not really scared, but they didn’t give us much to try. Now the support is good, it is enough. Like I said, they don’t have enough chassis (Kalex). Honda currently uses three variants and the number was not enough for me”.
About this he also says that from the Repsol Honda Team “Alberto pressures them to give me parts and new things, but in the end Honda has the last word”.
The arrival of Ken Kawauchi from Suzuki as technical chief was taken as a balm at Honda. But really Rins confesses that “nothing changed, you can share some experience, advice and information, but it’s not that much”. Influencing it, he mentions that no “says he help me or not. It’s just that he’s new to Honda too, he brings experience, but not like he’s going to give me things to try just because I was on the team with him last year.”-
Also read: Rins: “I was quite surprised that they took Mir, I’m sure they will have an explanation”
Looking ahead, Rins sees “this year definitely like a new chapter of my life: in an independent team, with a different kind of support, but I don’t know. I am very focused on the present. To be honest, I’m not thinking too much about the future right now.”. No this “obsessed with having to drive on a factory team” and you already wonder “if it is possible to become world champion in a satellite team: why not?
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