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MotoGP: Alex Rins signs with Suzuki

Moto2 standings leader to ride the GSX-RR in 2017 and 2018.

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Pic from MotoGP.com

The nearly man of motorcycle racing, Alex Rins, will be moving up a class next year regardless of how his current campaign in the 2016 Moto2 championship ends. The 20-year old Barcelona native has been signed by Team ECSTAR Suzuki to ride the GSX-RR in MotoGP for 2017 and 2018 alongside mercurial Italian rider Andrea Iannone, thus filling the final factory seat left open.

Since making his world championship season debut in Moto3 in 2012, Rins has proven to be a quick rider. He scored his first podium in only his fourth race and went on to finish his inaugural season fifth overall. In 2013, he was involved in a season long battle for the title with the late Luis Salom and current Suzuki rider Maverick Vinales and while Rins was favoured to win the championship, a 24th-place finish in the penultimate round in Japan torpedoed his chances and he finished second.

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After finishing his last three championship seasons second, third and second Rins is off to MotoGP in 2017 – Pic from MotoGP.com

This was the beginning of a series of near misses for Rins, who ended his 2014 Moto3 campaign in third as he watched teammate Alex Marquez claim the title. A switch to Moto2 in 2015 with the Pons team brought instant success with ten podiums, including two wins, in his maiden season and rookie of the year honours. He also finished second in the standings though the gap to eventual champion Johan Zarco was 118 points.

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Rins is currently leading the 2016 Moto2 table ahead of Sam Lowes and defending champ Zarco – Pic from MotoGP.com

This year Rins has been going well again and after seven races, he’s leading the Moto2 championship standings ahead of Sam Lowes and Zarco. Signing off on his lower category career with a championship title would be the ideal way to graduate to MotoGP but there are still 11 races to run in 2016.

Suzuki team manager, Davide Brivio, said “Alex Rins is a young rider who is a proven talent, always fighting within the top positions of the World Championship since his debut in every class. This makes him the type of rider who we want to support for the future and by paring him with Andrea Iannone, we believe they can form a strong team to compete at the maximum level.”

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The Suzuki GSX-RR will be Alex Rin’s ride in 2017 alongside ‘The Maniac’ Andrea Iannone – Pic from Suzuki Media
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Suzuki have been quicker in 2016 with a third place podium finish in France to show for it – Pic from Suzuki Media

By signing Rins, Team ECSTAR Suzuki will say goodbye to Aleix Espagaro, who was the first rider they signed for their return to MotoGP. With all the factory seats filled, the 26-year old Spaniard may have to look for a ride with a customer team, with Marc VDS probably offering the best prospects as Tito Rabat looks set for a return to Moto2 following his dismal results in the premier class this year.

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Aleix Espgaro will be the second rider to wave Suzuki goodbye at the end of 2016, though he isn’t leaving by choice – Pic from Suzuki Media

Will Alex Rins be able to compete against the likes of Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi next year? That’ll depend on the Suzuki but judging from his Moto3 and Moto2 results, it’ll only be a matter of time before the young Spaniard becomes a regular podium finisher and race winner.

Co-founder of Bikes Republic and a motoring journalist by night. He is a self described enthusiasts with a passion for speed but instead rides a Harley and a J300. A man of contradictions, he is just as passionate about time off in the quiets as he is about trail braking into turn one at Sepang Circuit on two or four wheels.

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