RINS DISAPPOINTED TO MISS YAMAHA’S 850CC TEST, BUT OPEN TO MOTOGP RETURN

Alex Rins is preparing to end his full-time MotoGP career after this season, but he has not ruled out returning for a race if a team calls. Speaking at Motegi, the Yamaha rider said he would “always be available” and would consider an invitation to ride during the 2027 season. “To race a MotoGP bike is always special,” he said.

Rins had hoped to get an early taste of the championship’s next technical era, asking Yamaha for a chance to ride its 850cc prototype on Pirelli tyres at the recent Red Bull Ring test. Yamaha instead selected Toprak Razgatlioglu, Jack Miller, 2027 rookie Izan Guevara and test rider Augusto Fernandez.

“It's a shame that in this case Yamaha didn't give me the chance to test the bike, the 850, because I was keen to try the new tyres and these new regulations,” Rins said. He added that he would still consider a call to race next year.

His immediate priority is the Japanese Grand Prix, which is set to be his final one as a full-time MotoGP rider. Rins said the team was pushing hard despite the limitations of its current machinery. “We are giving everything in every race. Even more than our 100% in every race,” he said.

Japan is a home event for Yamaha, and Rins noted that the company had recently visited Iwata and Hamamatsu. He said the people there were “really charged”, but added: “The bike is the bike, and let's say that the guns that we have to fight are these ones. So we will give our best as always and let's see what happens.”

Rins has managed a best result of ninth this season on Yamaha’s V4. He is among five race winners leaving the premier-class grid after the Valencia finale in November, alongside Maverick Vinales, Jack Miller, Brad Binder and Franco Morbidelli. Miller and Binder are heading to WorldSBK, while Rins has hinted at a future project on four wheels. Even as he prepares to step away from full-time racing, he remains open to a one-off MotoGP return.