Brilliant 4th for Rins, misfortune for Mir in Brno

Alex Rins: 4th (+ 6.609)
Joan Mir: DNF (Lap 3)

The third MotoGP round of the 2020 season resulted in a demanding and unpredictable 21 lap race, and mixed fortunes for Team Suzuki Ecstar’s riders as Alex Rins managed an amazing fourth but Joan Mir was hit with bad luck.

Rins got off to a great start onboard his GSX-RR, managing to slot into seventh from his 11th place grid spot. For the opening laps he kept the lead group in his sights, taking a careful approach to conserve his tyres and his shoulder. As the contenders began to spread out, Rins made a move on Aleix Espargaro to put himself in a secure sixth place and move away from the Aprilia rider and a chasing Valentino Rossi. Continuing to ride wisely and carefully, he was able to make a precise move on Fabio Quartararo to secure fourth with five laps left. Pushing on through his shoulder pain and using his smooth riding style he continued to gain ground on third place, crossing the line just 0.139 seconds from the podium. An incredible finish for Alex and a great reward for the struggles he’s endured in the last weeks. He moves up six places in the Championship standings to now sit in 10th.

Mir came into the race with confidence in his race pace after impressive strings of laps over the course of the weekend, and he felt able to score a good result from his ninth place grid position. However, a challenging start which saw him pushed back through the pack made for a tricky beginning to his race. On the fourth lap of the Grand Prix, Mir’s front wheel was hit when another rider went down in an attempt to overtake and he was unable to rejoin the race. Thankfully he was uninjured in the incident.

Team Suzuki Ecstar will be back on track in just five days’ time for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring.

Alex Rins:

“I decided not to ride in the morning Warm-Up, except for making a practice start, in order to conserve my shoulder as much as possible. In the race I still felt pain and it was very tough, but I tried to get a good start and I remained focused on the job. Lap by lap I got into a stronger rhythm, even as the tyre life started to drop off. I was determined to get the best position possible, and with this fourth I take a lot of points. The lack of power in my body made it harder to pass my rivals, and I got very close to the podium but I couldn’t quite do the overtake. Anyway, I’m satisfied with the result and the work done.”

Joan Mir:

“The only thing that I didn’t want to happen in the race happened. My start was OK but I lost ground in the first laps when fighting with Petrucci. I was settling into a rhythm and keeping calm because I knew I had good pace, so I was preparing to work my way through the pack. Lecuona crashed in front of me, and there was no way I could avoid going down too. He ruined the race for me but I don’t blame him because these things can happen. I have good memories from Austria in the smaller classes, although it will be my first time there on the MotoGP bike; I can’t wait to get back on track.”