P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Alex Rins appeared to be doomed on the inline-four Yamaha. Its switch to a V4 for MotoGP 2026 is the reset he needed – but he’ll need to make an immediate impact
After two years of MotoGP partnership, Alex Rins and Yamaha are heading towards a probable separation, despite no official statement confirming the same. Rins, who joined after successful stints at Suzuki and LCR Honda, struggled to perform well on the Yamaha M1 alongside Fabio Quartararo. His productivity has been questioned due to being the least productive full-time factory Yamaha rider, based on historical data from 1999 onwards. Rins’s best weekend in the 2025 season was in Indonesia, showcasing some improvement but lacking a significant positive trend overall. Despite efforts to adapt his riding style to match Quartararo’s, the fundamental mismatch with the Yamaha inline-four bike may have hindered Rins’s performance. The need for drastic improvement remains, as Yamaha explores potential routes forward in MotoGP.
