Alex Rins was scared on the track this morning, not because of a driving error but because of the condition of his shoulder, which he injured in Jerez and which has not yet fully healed.
“”On the first lap, I screamed about the pain in my helmet,” he said. “The temperatures were low, my muscles were cold and braking at the Red Bull Ring is a challenge. Fortunately, the situation improved quickly. “
The 4th time of the day proved it, but so did the comments of his opponents who believe he is one of the favorites.
“I had good feelings on the bike,” confirmed Suzuki’s Spanish rider. “I’m still in pain, but it’s different. I can deal with it and I don’t lose my strength like I used to in Jerez. All in all, it was also good not to race in FP2 and let my shoulder rest. ”
On the other hand, Alex wanted confirmation that afternoon.
“I made different adjustments to the two bikes this morning,” he explained. “I chose one of the others because it allowed me to brake more evenly, but I haven’t been able to do many laps and I need confirmation. You can’t tell this difference from the data and I don’t want to be wrong. If it rains tomorrow, I’ll do a comparison as I warm up. ”
The result is still positive, especially on a track that didn’t seem to improve the GSX-RR’s properties on paper.
“I was surprised too. Now I like the Red Bull Ring a little more “Rins said jokingly.” It is certainly also thanks to the motorcycle, because the frame and the engine are different than last year. We are not yet at the top speed that Ducati and KTM have, but this morning I was the fourth fastest rider on the straight. It’s good.”
Cal Crutchlow: “I’m injured and we have problems braking, but don’t worry, I’ll be back.”
Another driver who has to deal with his physical condition is Cal Crutchlow, who was also injured in Jerez. The LCR team driver is not in good shape and has stressed how everyone should wait before judging.
“I don’t know if anyone has ever broken their scaphoid, got back on a bike three days after surgery, and also had compartment syndrome. And I drive a Honda“he defended himself. “I’m not at my best yet. I’ll give it my all, but don’t worry because I’m back to my level. ”
However, even the RC213V has its shortcomings, particularly when it comes to braking.
“I cannot stop the bike“Cal complained. “I think that’s because of factory problems. The first is the new Michelin rear tire, which has more grip and pushes forward. Then there’s the new engine, which has more inertia. In fact, both Alex Marquez and Bradl have the same difficulties while we cannot make comparisons with Nakagami riding a different bike. “
All in all, the season is just beginning. There is time for improvement, but Crutchlow also needs to think about his future. Andrea Iannone’s hearing is scheduled for mid-October, which could make his arrival in Aprilia difficult as they want to wait for him.
“It’s not a problem for me,” said the British driver.