– Alex Rins is facing a crucial turning point for his future. The Spaniard will no longer compete for the Yamaha factory team in MotoGP in 2027 and is therefore intensively considering possible alternatives. The Superbike World Championship (WSBK) is considered one of the most interesting options.
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However, the six-time MotoGP winner does not yet have a concrete contract for the upcoming season, while other riders without a MotoGP option for 2027 are already showing concrete developments.
Brad Binder is said to be about to move to BMW and could meet his former KTM teammate Miguel Oliveira there. Franco Morbidelli is linked with a place at Ducati, while Jack Miller is negotiating with Yamaha about continuing cooperation in the WSBK.
For Rins, however, much is still open. Although the 30-year-old has repeatedly expressed his interest in the Superbike World Championship, he also emphasizes that his future does not depend solely on a move to Superbikes.
Rins: Talks yes, but no concrete deal yet
At Silverstone, the Yamaha rider was asked about the speculation surrounding his future. Rins did not confirm a possible move to the WSBK. Instead, he made it clear that his management is examining various possibilities.
“We are not only looking towards Superbikes,” explained Rins. He then clarified: “We have nothing clear yet. We have just started talking to some teams, but nothing concrete.” This confirms that talks are ongoing, but there is no talk of signing a contract yet.
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One possible lead currently points to Ducati. According to GPOne, Rins is particularly interested in a Ducati Panigale V4 R. Since a place in the official Ducati factory team apparently is not available, contact was reportedly made with the private Go-Eleven team. There, the possibility of running a second Ducati for Rins in 2027 is said to have been examined.
However, Go-Eleven would have to provide additional financial and organizational resources for such a step. Currently, the team is also in talks about a contract extension with Lorenzo Baldassarri.
Summer break without intensive contract search
There is no panic at Rins, however. He makes it clear that the summer break was by no means characterized by a hectic search for a new employer. Rather, he largely left the matter to his management.
“I stayed pretty relaxed because I trust my environment and manager. It was a bit more stressful for him than for me. I was really calm,” said the Spaniard.
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However, Rins was not quite as relaxed as this statement initially sounds. “I won’t lie to you and say I was completely relaxed. I am a racer and of course I think about it a bit, as you can imagine. But I stayed pretty calm and let him work.”
Already in July, Rins had stated that at that time he had no place for 2027 in MotoGP and was looking for an opportunity in the Superbike World Championship together with his environment. “But at the moment I have nothing,” the Yamaha rider said then. His goal is primarily a competitive motorcycle.
Rins’ MotoGP career so far shaped by Japanese bikes
A move to the Superbike World Championship would mark a new chapter in Rins’ career. In MotoGP, he has so far only ridden Japanese motorcycles.
He made his debut in the premier class in 2017 with Suzuki. He rode for the Hamamatsu manufacturer until its withdrawal from MotoGP at the end of 2022. With Suzuki, he achieved four of his total six MotoGP wins. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, he finished the world championship each time in the top 5.
After Suzuki’s exit, Rins moved to the LCR Honda team in 2023. There he achieved another MotoGP win. At the same time, his season was significantly affected by a serious leg fracture after a crash in Mugello. In 2024, he finally moved to the Yamaha factory team. However, Rins has not yet been able to match his most successful years at Suzuki and Honda there.
Yamaha starts 2027 with a new rider pairing
After three years, the chapter Yamaha closes for the 30-year-old at the end of the season. The Japanese manufacturer is restructuring its MotoGP project personnel-wise for 2027.
Fabio Quartararo has decided to move to Honda. Yamaha will therefore compete with a completely new rider pairing: Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura are to pilot the two factory machines in the future. Both come from Aprilia.
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For Rins, this means that a return to a MotoGP factory team for 2027 is currently not an option. The Superbike World Championship is therefore increasingly developing into a realistic alternative. However, a concrete decision is still pending.
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