MotoGP Barcelona – Alex Rins: “The bike is made for Fabio Quartararo”

Rins admits his issues on the Suzuki are overshadowed by Quartararo's brilliance on the Yamaha

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) believes his struggles on the Suzuki pale in comparison to the performance of Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP).

Quartararo made it look easy at the Barcelona Grand Prix, leading from start-to-finish and eventually winning by a margin of over six seconds from Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

Rins, meanwhile, struggled to keep pace, eventually finishing eighth; just one place ahead of teammate Joan Mir, who is still yet to finish on the podium this year.

“The bike is made for Fabio,” Rins said. “He’s riding in a way that nobody else can. I’m trying to find a way to be more competitive, but it’s not easy.

“I’m not giving up, but I need to find something more. I need to find a way to be faster. I am convinced that I can do it, but I need to do it soon.

“The bike is not as competitive as it could be, but I think I could be doing better. I’m not happy with my performance this year, and I need to find a way to improve.

“I’m looking forward to the next race, and I’m hoping to be more competitive. I need to find something extra, and I’m hoping to find it soon.”

Rins is not the only one struggling on the Suzuki

Mir, the reigning MotoGP world champion, has also struggled for form this season. He has finished on the podium just once, and is currently 10th in the championship standings.

Suzuki’s struggles have been put into even sharper focus by the performance of Quartararo, who has dominated the season so far. The Frenchman has won three of the first six races, and is the clear favorite for the championship.

Suzuki is not the only team struggling to keep pace with Yamaha. Ducati, Honda, and Aprilia have all had their moments, but none have been able to consistently challenge Quartararo.

The next race is the German Grand Prix, which will be held on June 19th. It will be interesting to see if Rins and Mir can find a way to close the gap to Quartararo, or if the Frenchman will continue his march to the title.