Japanese GP – Rins (3rd): "Crutchlow was difficult to overtake because he braked very hard"

Alex Rins shone the colors of the GSX-RR at the 2018 Japanese GP with a nice third place behind Marquez and Crutchlow. Thanks to this third podium of the season and of his MotoGP career, the Suzuki official climbs to ninth place in the provisional standings. Debriefing.

Alex Rins, Suzuki (8th in qualifying and 3rd in race) : "I am really happy with this result, for myself and for the team, because it is their home race. We had a good race, I was able to pass several drivers at the start and maintain a good pace ". 

• Japanese GP 2018 :
• MNC special file : 

"After Andrea’s fall (Iannone, editor’s note), I assessed the situation and thought that Crutchlow was perhaps too far ahead … but I still decided to try to catch up with him! managed, but overtaking him was difficult because Cal was braking very hard. We ended up in third place and we are very happy about that. ".

“I’m learning in every race and for sure it’s fun to fight with top drivers, even if it’s very difficult. We’ll try to end this season with more podiums!”

Site analysis : Alex Rins was confident for the GP of Japan 2018, convinced to have a good race pace if not very fast on a rolling lap. The 23-year-old Barcelona boy got it right: starting from the third row from 8th place, he quickly returned to the top 5.

The n ° 42 then took advantage of the drop in speed of Valentino Rossi to overtake him, well wedged in the wheel of his teammate Andrea Iannone. Then, once his box neighbor left to the mat, Rins applied himself to come back on Crutchlow without however managing to pass him..

"I gave everything during this race and I think the podium was accessible to me," said Andrea Iannone, who lost the front under braking on turn 10 and hopes to recover next Sunday in Australia, on a circuit he loves. 

Fourth until the penultimate lap, Alex Rins finally inherited third place following the fall of Andrea Dovizioso. Enough to fuel the pride of the 55,000 spectators around the Motegi circuit, delighted to see three Japanese motorcycles on the podium (two Honda and one Suzuki) ! 

Thanks to this podium – his third after the and the -, Rins achieves an excellent operation in the provisional classification: currently ninth, the Spaniard has passed in front of his experienced teammate and is only 12 points behind Jorge Lorenzo on his official Ducati. (130 points Vs 118) !

Insofar as – where his GP18 will be entrusted to Alvaro Bautista – the ambitious Alex Rins can hope to fill all or part of this delay … He has the necessary speed, just like his GSX-RR: why deprive ?!

Guintoli chomping at the bit by developing the GSX-RR

The – notable – progress of Hamamatsu’s motorcycle is notably the fruit of the development work carried out by Sylvain Guintoli, who was testing a new engine and a new fairing during his wild card in Japan. Although he finished 21st and last classified, the Drôme pilot ensures that the essential is elsewhere.

"We were expecting a busy weekend, with a lot to do in terms of development", relates "Guinters" who admits to having lived a "difficult" race in terms of performance, but explains having worked not for the clock. but "for the future because it’s my job, that’s what I have to do".

"The bike is now very good and the objective is to find some further marginal improvements for next season: in this regard, we have succeeded", judge Sylvain Guintoli who will take the track for private tests at Motegi at the beginning of November, then at Jerez (Spain). To follow naturally on MNC: stay connected !

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