It is said that your first time will never be forgotten, and Alex Rins will no doubt hold his memories of his success in Austin with pride. For Suzuki, after a two-and-a-half year absence, it meant a return to the top step of the podium, and for the Spaniard a very first victory in the reigning class.
A well-deserved victory, fruit of Alex’s talent, but also a lot of hard work that resulted in a wave of emotions. A few days after his triumph in Texas, Rins posted his thoughts on a blog. Here it is:
“Everyone has dreams. Joining MotoGP and working with the SUZUKI ECSTAR team was a dream for me in 2017. At that time, victory as a rookie in the big class seemed very far away. And even though it was getting closer, you still wonder if it can really happen to you – it may be one of the most difficult dreams in the world.
But perseverance is key in pursuing something, and I was able to fulfill this incredible dream of mine in one of the most unexpected places in Austin, Texas. It’s a track I like, but we imagined our bike might have some trouble there.
And so, contrary to expectation and almost surprisingly, we achieved something magical that was made even more special because it was unexpected. I had already won Moto3 and Moto2 in Austin and it is a difficult track, very technical, relentlessly long, with unusual characteristics. But despite my past successes, I didn’t think of it as the track where I would take my first top-class win.
It was fabulous, indescribable, it was a Sunday of incredible happinessto celebrate a very important triumph for me and Suzuki. The day after the race I read in the media that I was the only driver to win in all three classes.
We got some strong podiums last year and our goal for this season was a first win. That goal has now been achieved, three rounds this 2019 season. It was not easy, even with Marquez out of the fight. In the first few laps it cost me a lot just to follow the rhythm of the race. When I was behind Miller I got very close for the first few laps and followed him, but there were still moments when I thought, “Bah, I lost it!” after walking far in a corner.
When I was ahead of Valentino, I thought that I would be overtaken again and thought how important it is to avoid mistakes until the very end. It was really tough under the pressure, albeit incredibly emotional, to get out of the last corner and onto the home straight.
As I crossed the finish line, I saw my entire team climb the fence on the pit wall and I couldn’t have been happier than I was at that point. When I got to Parc Ferme and saw everyone there, they were partying like crazy people! The emotions overwhelmed me! The party went on in the box, we were all on Cloud 9 together – everyone sang and danced, shot videos, took photos, immortalized the moment … I could hear all the great American fans outside cheering and the TV cameras were keen to get into the box.
Also, it was fantastic to wear the cowboy hat and hold that special “bull horns” trophy …
The weekend was not easy and we had some breakdowns; on Friday I locked myself out of the mobile home and Roby Brivio (Team Coordinator) had to climb through the window and let us in! However, the weekend ended in the best possible way; with Prosecco on the podium and a very special dinner with Joan, Davide, Ken, all my people and the team.
Now it’s time for the first race in Europe, the fourth round of the 2019 season. And it’s Jerez – one of the most exciting and emotional places to drive. We will give everything again for this very exciting race weekend in front of my fans and the Spaniards. “