– Alex Rins makes a surprising future announcement ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix. It has long been clear that the Spaniard will leave Yamaha after the current season, and now it is also clear: a move to the Superbike World Championship is not an option for the 30-year-old.
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More than that: Rins hints that his active career on two wheels is overall coming to an end. When asked when there would be news about his future, the 30-year-old initially responds on Thursday in Misano with a telling sentence: “You will hear nothing.” Shortly thereafter, he becomes more specific.
“I will not go to the Superbike World Championship next year.” With that, Rins simultaneously dispels the most obvious speculation. After Yamaha officially confirmed that the collaboration with Rins will end at the end of 2026, the Superbike World Championship was long considered a possible next stop for the Spaniard.
However, Rins himself now makes it clear that his path leads in a different direction. “I have a really good, really interesting project in mind that I cannot reveal because it is not 100 percent finalized yet,” explains Rins.
At the same time, the six-time MotoGP winner leaves no doubt that he is absolutely at peace with his decision: “I am definitely very happy.”
Two offers from WorldSBK
Particularly remarkable is that Rins apparently does not forgo the Superbike World Championship due to a lack of attractive offers. When asked if he had not found a satisfactory opportunity, he responds decisively: “No, I found them.”
Accordingly, he even had two concrete options. “I had two possibilities there, and I really want to thank them because they were very interested in me,” says Rins. Nevertheless, another perspective appealed to him more strongly. “I found something else that motivates me much more.”
What exactly is behind this project remains open from Rins. But it is apparently clear to him that his future as a rider will no longer be on a racing motorcycle.
“It was difficult to decide because my whole life in MotoGP, in this championship, consisted of many battles, many races, many wins. 14 years, approximately,” Rins looks back on his career. Then follows the decisive sentence: “So yes, I will stop with two wheels.”
Photo gallery: The career highlights of Alex Rins
This marks an unusually clear full stop to a long racing career. Rins debuted in MotoGP in 2017 with Suzuki and remained loyal to the manufacturer until its withdrawal at the end of 2022. With Suzuki, the now 30-year-old achieved four of his total six wins in the premier class.
In 2023, he moved to LCR-Honda before switching to the Yamaha factory team in 2024. His departure from the Japanese manufacturer has been official since June. The Japanese manufacturer confirmed at that time that both Rins and Fabio Quartararo would no longer be part of the factory team after the 2026 season.
One last time everything for Yamaha
Despite the personal future decision, Rins is by no means completely gone from MotoGP in his thoughts. He wants to continue contributing until the end of the season. In Misano, Yamaha faces a track that presents different demands than the previous course in Aragon.
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“I don’t know, good question,” says Rins when asked whether Misano could be easier for Yamaha. The track does not require the same engine power as a track with long straights. At the same time, the setup is demanding.
“We have to find a good balance between the motorcycle’s cornering behavior and acceleration,” the Spaniard knows. Especially the numerous slow and technically demanding corners could be decisive.
Rins points out how important it is in Misano to hit the line precisely. Whoever goes too wide and then has to turn in more sharply loses efficiency. His goal is therefore clear: “We have to try to find the right balance, have a good motorcycle, and enjoy the weekend.”
Another critical point is likely to be fuel consumption. Rins confirms that Misano is a demanding track in this respect and that Yamaha cannot automatically gain an advantage from the lower engine power.
“That is a problem for everyone,” he says. How serious the issue is was already shown, according to Rins, in Silverstone. There, Yamaha worked “really, really hard” to understand the situation and to finish the race at all with sufficient fuel. “We crossed the finish line almost out of fuel.”
Therefore, intensive analysis and evaluation will also take place behind the scenes in Misano. “The guys from the performance department will work hard on it,” promises Rins.
Rins also knows frustration and anger
Besides the technical topics, Rins also talks about a less visible side of his MotoGP everyday life: dealing with frustration. When a motorcycle does not work as desired, it is difficult for a rider to face the public and their questions immediately after a ride.
“It is of course not easy when you are traveling at 350 km/h and then immediately come to the media where suddenly many phones are pointed at you and you have to stay calm,” Rins describes the situation from his experience.
He does not hide that he also reacts emotionally. “I also get angry and have been really mad many times,” says the Yamaha rider. What is crucial for him is to channel these emotions in the right direction afterward.
Professional support also helps with this: “I have been working with my psychologist for many years to develop my own way of dealing with it.”
The question about his coping strategies does not come out of nowhere. In Aragon, his teammate Fabio Quartararo caused a stir with his statements about Yamaha and his motivation. His current employer reacted with clear criticism and accused the Frenchman of lacking objectivity.
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