Alex Rins has been forced to withdraw from the 2024 British MotoGP following a crash during the second practice session.
Yamaha rider Alex Rins has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2024 British MotoGP at Silverstone following a crash during the second practice session on Friday.
The Spaniard suffered injuries to his hand and foot, prompting his withdrawal from the race weekend which has raised concerns not only for his immediate health but also for his season’s prospects as he looks to bounce back from a challenging start to the year marked by injuries.
The crash happened at turn seven late in the second practice session, and despite Rins’ efforts to continue, medical assessments confirmed that he would not be fit to race.
Rins, who recently signed a contract extension with Yamaha, was eager to return to action after missing the German Grand Prix due to previous injuries sustained at the Dutch TT. However, the lingering pain from his wrist injury proved too much to overcome, and the decision was made to pull him out of the British MotoGP on Friday night.
Yamaha issued a statement revealing that Rins was suffering from pain and will prioritise his health over the remainder of the weekend.
“First of all, I would like to express my sympathies to Alex,” Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis said. “Riders are always disappointed when they can’t ride, but perhaps this one is even more frustrating for Alex as the British GP is a very special round.
“It’s significant for Monster Energy, who sponsor this round, and also for Dorna who are staging the MotoGP 75th Anniversary celebrations. Moreover, Alex really likes Silverstone and has gotten great results here, so it’s definitely a let-down.
“However, his health and well-being must take priority. We therefore decided that it was not worth it for him to continue the British MotoGP race weekend and hope to have him back in Austria in a better condition.”
The 29-year-old will undergo further tests after a period of rest to assess his fitness for the following round in Spielberg.
“After assessing my medical condition with my doctors, we have come to the conclusion that the most responsible thing for me is to skip the remaining part of the British GP,” Rins said.
“As you can imagine, I feel sorry for the team and for myself. Every single lap that we have done this season has proven to be useful for the development of the bike and for closing the gap to other manufacturers.
“But the pain that I‘m feeling and the risk of a bigger injury, along with the medical advice, makes me take this decision.
“I hope to be back on track and working again very soon.”
With Rins out of the 2024 British MotoGP, the Yamaha team will now need to adjust their strategy for the race weekend without one of their key riders and look for a replacement.
For logistical reason, Remy Gardner will move from the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team garage to the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP garage for the remainder of the race weekend. However, Gardner will still be riding for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team.
“As of tomorrow, Remy will be operating from the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP garage,” Lin Jarvis said. “However, Remy will still be riding for the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Test Team for the remainder of the British GP weekend.”
The World Superbike regular, who was already competing as a wildcard this weekend as part of the Japanese marque’s test team will now be eligible to score manufacturer points for the team.
