Rins: Qualifying woes masking Suzuki potential
Suzuki's true potential is being masked by its qualifying struggles in recent MotoGP races, admits Alex Rins.
Following his victory in Silverstone in August, Rins has not finished higher than fifth, with a best grid slot of eighth in the four races since his win.
The Spaniard admitted that Suzuki's poor qualifying form was a particular hindrance last weekend in Motegi, as he and Joan Mir qualified down in 11th and 12th respectively and could only recover to seventh and eighth places in the race.
Rins acknowledged addressing the GSX-RR's lack of speed over one lap will be necessary to find a way back on the podium in the final races of the season.
"We need to improve Saturday," he said. "It was a problem to start on the back, as you can see.
"Usually I am used to starting fast, but we had some problems on the clutch and I ended the first lap two positions back from my starting position.
"Then I recovered positions, but you need to push more the front, push more the rear, open the throttle earlier and finally you destroy the tyres.
"I recovered a lot of positions, but fighting with [Cal] Crutchlow in the end he overtook me and finished in front of me. Anyway, P7 is nice points but we need to keep working.
"We have the pace to fight for the podium but we need to improve qualifying."
Asked how he and Suzuki could go about fixing the issue, Rins replied: "I will fix it doing more gas, taking more risks. It’s the only thing to improve."
With three races to go, Rins remains third in the points but is now level with Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales - who finished fourth in Japan - while Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha) are also within striking distance.
"We started a new championship with 75 points [available]," said Rins. "One of the goals is to finish third. But we see that we can improve our motorcycle.
"We have to take information to take that step next year. We need to improve a bit of everything: braking, electronics, aerodynamics."
Additional reporting by Oriol Puigdemont
Alex Rins, Team Suzuki MotoGP
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Lorenzo "found something" in Motegi closing stages
Rossi has 'perhaps hung around too long' - Burgess
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
OPINION: The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. This is why.
How in-form Quartararo is evoking Marquez in MotoGP 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success.
Why Marquez's surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations