Alex Rins’ Victory at Australian MotoGP a Parting Gift for Suzuki

In Jakarta, Spanish rider Alex Rins clinched a triumph for Suzuki Ecstar at the Australian Grand Prix, marking the team’s farewell to the MotoGP World Championship as they exit at the end of the 2022 season. Last July, Suzuki announced its decision to withdraw from MotoGP after reaching an agreement with sponsor Dorna Sports.

Starting from P10 at Phillip Island, Rins made his way into the podium contention within seven laps, joining Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez, and Francesco Bagnaia in the lead pack. In lap 14, Rins surged forward, engaging in intense battles with the other top riders, who remained only 1.8 seconds apart.

Despite initially dropping to P3, Rins’ confidence in the GSX-RR’s cornering speed kept him in the fight. He then executed two overtaking maneuvers, securing his fourth MotoGP victory in a thrilling finish, according to Antara’s report. “I’m incredibly happy. The bike felt great during the race, and I had a fantastic feeling,” said Rins, beating Marquez and Bagnaia by 0.186 seconds.

“I tried to conserve my rear tire because I knew it was tough here. But eventually, I found traction in the flowing corners, allowing me to maintain my position until the end,” he added.

The entire team and everyone involved in the project deserved this win, along with the fans. It was a fitting celebration before Suzuki departs, with Rins set to join LCR Honda for the upcoming season, replacing Alex Marquez at Repsol Gracia.

Meanwhile, after finishing third in Australia, Francesco Bagnaia, aboard a Ducati, took the championship lead following Fabio Quartararo’s crash, leaving the Yamaha rider 14 points behind. With a challenging task ahead at Sepang and Valencia on November 6th, Quartararo will need a strong comeback to close the gap.

Aleix Espargaro, riding for Aprilia, finished ninth in Australia and remains in third place, 24 points behind the leader. He still has a chance at the title, as per the MotoGP website, with races yet to come.