After three extensive days of MotoGP testing at Sepang, Alex Rins has seen enough of himself and Suzuki to point out that both of them have what it takes to “win a few races” in 2019.
The Spaniard was one of the top performers on the three days in Malaysia, his speed during the hottest part of Friday was praised by overall pacemaker Danilo Petrucci.
Rins may have finished the third day with the twelfth fastest time, but on the third day no one did any more laps in the 1: 59sec.
“That was a positive feeling,” commented Rins, who sampled a new Suzuki chassis for the GSX-RR on the last day. “We improved the bike a little more than the race. Our package is now definitely better than the race.
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“But we have to keep working. We have to try new things in Qatar because we didn’t have time here. But it will still be interesting in this championship – a lot of drivers will be at the front because the level is so high. Lets see what happens.
“[For Qatar engineers] have to analyze all the data from these three days. We did a lot of 1m 59s which is a good thing. You have to analyze to find something new. I am really happy.
“I think the track was quick in the end. We drove the same lap time as this morning. We have had a couple of very positive days of testing. We tried a lot.
“I think our base is a little better now than last year. We have to confirm in Qatar that we are right. But we work well.
“We have a good base on the bike. It’s true that we set a very good lap time with the heat in these three days, very consistently. But I’m calm because I believe in our project, in our motorcycle, and Suzuki works very hard. “
Was he concerned about the Ducati’s incredible speed, which resulted in four of their riders finishing in the top four? “No, because the race will be very different,” he said. “Ducati for one lap they are always very fast. But we’ll see what happens. “
For the past few months, Rins has dismissed talk of being a contender for the championship. Instead, he says, race wins have to come first. After these three days, does he feel that the goal is closer than before?
“It would be difficult because winning a race is not easy,” he said. “But I think we have [pieces] for winning a few races. “