After a tough second race at Misano last time, Suzuki riders Joan Mir and Alex Rins are hoping to get back on their feet in the second Portuguese MotoGP of the year this weekend.
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Both drivers showed impressive speed during the Portimao race of the season in April when Rins battled for victory before retiring while Mir finished third.
In fact, it remains Rins’ best performance of the season despite losing a possible win – a win that would have been her first of the season.
I benefited from the unfortunate fall of his teammates, while other falls in which Johann Zarco was involved also helped the Spaniard to his first of five podiums this season.
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Suzuki is still without a win in 2021 – one of just two teams alongside Aprilia, but with Portimao and Valencia on the calendar, both tracks should offer the opportunity to change their results so far.
Before the weekend, Mir said: “I was third here when we got to round three of the season and the race was really good.
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“I’ve felt safe the whole time and I hope I get the same good feelings when we hit the track on Friday. Portimao is a great track, it’s like a roller coaster, but it’s really nice!”
Rins, who was not helped by a multitude of mistakes at the start of the season, has only achieved one podium so far this season but is “ready to try again”.
“Portimao is a great track that I really enjoy. When we came here in April I was a bit unlucky because my pace was strong, but I fell off a podium, ”added Rins.
“I’m ready to try again this weekend, especially since our bike has improved since we last raced. I think we could be quick here.”