It was a big morning for the future of some MotoGP™ riders, with Yamaha detailing a major shake up in their 2024 factory rider line up. The Iwata based outfit announced their five-year relationship with Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) will come to a conclusion at the season’s end, while also confirming that Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) will join the fold.
- YAMAHA AND MORBIDELLI PARTNERSHIP TO END AFTER 2023
- 2024 AND BEYOND: WHERE NEXT FOR MORBIDELLI?
- YAMAHA SIGN RINS FOR 2024 SEASON
The move may come as a surprise to many, with Rins having only just joined Honda for the 2023 campaign, while he also tasted victory aboard the RC213V at the Americas GP. That success at COTA saw him become the first Honda rider not named Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) to win a Grand Prix since Cal Crutchlow at the 2018 Argentina GP.
Incidentally, it was also LCR’s last victory in the class while the Spaniard’s Texas win also capped a century of paddock podiums for Lucio Cecchinello’s charges. It seemed the good times were very much back. However, it proved the exception rather than rule as Rins recorded double DNFs in Jerez and Le Mans before suffering a double leg break in Italy.
As Honda’s woes deepened, rumours began to swirl of a potential switch to Yamaha, and that has come to fruition, meaning the #42 will complete a hat-trick of Japanese manufacturers in MotoGP™. Having ridden with Suzuki and Honda with Yamaha to come, he will become the first rider to ride with all three manufacturers solely in the MotoGP™ era, following in the footsteps of the likes of Randy Mamola, who did so in the time of 500cc machines, Loris Capirossi, Sete Gibernau and Alex Barros, all achieving the feat on 500cc and MotoGP™ machinery.
Another little piece of history may await Rins once he gets his Yamaha career underway. No rider has managed to win with three different manufacturers in MotoGP™… yet! Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) are both contesting for the honour of becoming the first to do so, but if they don’t do it in the remaining rounds of 2023, then Rins may fancy his chances at securing another little slice of history for himself. It is an accomplishment that has only been achieved four times in history; first up by Mike Hailwood, then Randy Mamola and Eddie Lawson while Loris Capirossi was the most recent.
Less than 12 months after ending his six year stint with Suzuki, Rins is preparing for a new adventure as he will ride a third machine in as many years. Perhaps it isn’t the most ideal of scenarios for the Spaniard, but it is just another challenge to overcome for one of the sport’s fastest riders. Before embarking on his new journey though, he must focus on the immediate future. Rehabilitation from a broken leg is the first task, and then a return to racing with Honda where he will target a strong end to his season, and indeed, his Honda career.