Former 500cc Grand Prix winner and motogp.com's expert analyst Simon Crafar speaks on the Spaniard's remarkable COTA performance
LCR Honda
Castrol's Alex Rins was nothing short of sensational at the Red Bull Grand Prix
of the Americas as he took his first win for Honda in only his third
competitive appearance. His victory comes after finishing 11.5 and 14 seconds
adrift of the eventual race winner in the opening two Grands Prix of the
season, highlighting the technical deficiencies he was forced to overcome in
Austin. But how was he able to do it?
Former 500cc
Grand Prix winner and now motogp.com's very own Simon Crafar picked apart the
Spaniard's performance in Sunday's episode of After The Flag. The Kiwi was keen
to stress how the former Suzuki man's "natural talent and feel" was
crucial to his quick adaptation to the radically different RC213V, before
looking a bit deeper into what helped Rins become the first Honda rider other
than Marc Marquez to take victory in over five years.
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After the
Flag: Analysing Rins' charge to COTA success 16/04/2023
Join Louis
Suddaby, Simon Crafar and Matt Birt as they reflect on an attritional and
thrilling Americas GP
"I've
done a bit of digging over the past few days," started Crafar after
Sunday's race. "Listening to riders and trying to find out how Alex
can do this when the other Honda riders can't. He has a different riding style.
The reason we all thought that Joan Mir would suit the Honda more is because he
has more of a V4 style. He sits slightly further back, he’s a hard braker,
slows it down a little bit more and then fires it out of the corner, which is
how V4 riders normally ride.
"Alex
has turned up with a more flowing style, carrying corner speed, and it turns
out that that helps Honda. They have such a lack of rear grip and struggle to
get the tyre to drive them off the turn, if you slow it down, stand it up and
fire it off the corner then the thing just lights up. But Alex, by flowing, has
masked some of that disadvantage and mastered it amazingly here.
"I know all the Honda guys have been looking at his data trying to figure out how and what he's doing. Taka for example said that he rides it more like a Moto2 bike, just carrying that corner speed. What a job. I just hope that Honda can improve that disadvantage so all the Honda riders can be competitive like him."
"We did
an unbelievable pace" - Rins holds nerve for glory 16/04/2023
From head shaving antics to remaining calm to deliver LCR their 100th podium, the Spaniard reflects on his stunning Americas GP victory
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