The Spaniard said he was grateful to all the teams that showed interest in him, but stressed that he hadn't made a decision yet. Alex stressed, however, that he prefers to have a bike of the year in the next MotoGP season
Amid rumors that he is closed with LCR Honda, Álex Rins assures that he has not yet signed a contract for the 2023 MotoGP season. The Spaniard has signaled, however, that he prefers to have a bike of the year.
Álex is still looking for a professional relocation after Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP grid at the end of the year. The Spaniard had been negotiating with the Hamamatsu-based manufacturer to renew his contract and, like Joan Mir, seemed close to signing for another two years when he was taken by surprise after the Spanish GP with the news of his exit from the championship.
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Now, Rins has options not only with LCR, but also with RNF, which will be Aprilia's satellite next, and Gresini, which uses Ducati equipment.
"I really appreciate the teams, the factories that came to me, because honestly it wasn't easy," Rins said. "I'm pretty comfortable, because we have some options. Still, I haven't decided yet. But let's see if we can say something as soon as possible," he followed.
Without naming any of the teams that have expressed interest, Álex made it clear that it would be difficult to rule out a bike of the year, which may tip the scales more to the side of LCR Honda, as Gresini has an outdated Ducati currently and RNF has already confirmed it will have an Aprilia 2022 next year.
"I'm interested in all the options, that's for sure," he stressed. "I don't know if I'm going to sound a bit selfish, but I think I deserve a 2023 bike because I've worked very, very hard. So they have options that can give me a 2023 bike that are pretty interesting. Pretty good," he commented.
"We will decide, [but] it's not easy. I don't like to say no to a team that is interested in me. So we are analyzing the situation well," he explained.
LCR boss Lucio Cecchinello admitted the talks with Rins' manager, revealed that some points have already been agreed and hopes to have a new meeting this weekend, in Assen, to define the missing points. The manager wants to get the team composition right before the summer break, which starts after the Dutch GP.
The second practice session for the Dutch GP of MotoGP in Assen takes place this Friday at 9:10 a.m. (EST).GRANDE PRÊMIO is following all the activities of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship.