MotoGP: Yamaha sign Alex Rins for 2024 season

Alex Rins will leave LCR Honda at the end of the 2023 MotoGP season and join Fabio Quartararo at Yamaha.

Rins will replace Franco Morbidelli at Yamaha, with the latter’s departure confirmed earlier this morning (August 2). Morbidelli is expected to be on a Ducati in 2024, potentially linking up with mentor Valentino Rossi’s Mooney VR46 Racing team.

Meanwhile, Rins leaves LCR Honda after just one season. The six-time MotoGP race winner jumped on the RC213V following Suzuki’s shock departure from the championship, but, like all Honda riders, has endured a rough campaign onboard the troublesome bike.

Rins dominated at COTA earlier this year to win for the second time at the Texan circuit, however he’s currently out of action after breaking his leg at Mugello. Rins sustained a fractured tibia and fibula in an accident during the sprint race.

The Spaniard has missed two rounds and will not take part in this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. World Superbike Championship rider Iker Lecuona will take his place.

“We are delighted that Alex is joining the Yamaha line-up, and we warmly welcome him to the Yamaha MotoGP group,”Lin Jarvis, Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Racing, said.

“We expect Alex to be a great asset. He has vast experience as a MotoGP rider and is known to be a natural talent and a multi-time MotoGP class race winner. He already has experience with two other MotoGP manufacturers and has ridden bikes with similar characteristics to the YZR-M1, which should help him adapt quickly to our bike. His win in COTA earlier this year underlines his speed, hunger, and determination to succeed.

“Alex has been away from the MotoGP paddock for a while due to the injury he sustained at Mugello, but we are confident that he should be fully recovered and up to speed for the 2024 season.

“We are really looking forward to working with him and believe that he will collaborate well with Fabio and enhance the total performance of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team.”

Whether Rins is the only rider to leave Honda following the conclusion of the 2023 season remains to be seen. Former Suzuki teammate Joan Mir is having a dismal season with Repsol Honda and has also been side-lined with a hand injury.

The 2020 World Champion has just five points to his name so far in 2023 after crashing out of four sprint races and three Grand Prix races.

Meanwhile, Marc Marquez’s future is still up in the air despite the six-time premier class champion having a contract with HRC for 2024. Marquez has also missed five rounds through injury and crashed a remarkable five times across the weekend at his beloved Sachsenring before pulling out of the Grand Prix race.

Marquez will make his return to action at Silverstone this weekend.