FIRST LOOK: Alex Rins unveils LCR Honda livery

Rins arrives at Lucio Cecchinello’s team fresh from winning two of the last three races of Suzuki’s farewell MotoGP season.

The Spaniard, 27, has raced a GSX-RR ever since his 2017 premier-class debut and scored more wins (5) than any other rider on the bike.

Rins’ best championship position was third in 2020, when he fought back from injuries at round one in a season that saw younger team-mate Joan Mir clinch the crown.

While both Suzuki riders have been rehomed at Honda for 2023, Mir will ride for Repsol while Rins has been placed at the satellite team.

Rins' new colours were revealed in an online launch video based on 'the power of dreams', where a sleeping Rins suffered the 'nightmare' of being delivered a pile of boxes by team manager Lucio Cecchinello, in disguise, then had to try and rapidly assemble his own RCV, before being woken by a phone call from Cecchinello to come and see his new bike.

"My dream is to become a world champion," Rins said. "This is my seventh season in MotoGP. Every year I learn something new... I will start 2023 with work and determination."

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Access to 2023 machinery convinced Rins to join Honda rather than accept an RNF Aprilia or Gresini Ducati ride, but the RCV is also in need of the most development, having been the only bike without a win last season.

Rins heads for this weekend’s final pre-season test at Portimao having been 19th fastest at Sepang but confident of progress in adapting to the Honda.

The Spaniard’s best Malaysian lap was 1.0s behind Ducati’s Luca Marini and he was an average of +0.5s from the Italian during a Sprint race simulation.

LCR joined the MotoGP class with Casey Stoner in 2006 but had to wait another decade before celebrating (three) victories with Cal Crutchlow from 2016 to 2018.

The Englishman’s Termas de Rio Hondo triumph was also the last time a Honda rider other than Marc Marquez won a MotoGP race.

LCR is the only current team to run a ‘split’ livery with Rins' team-mate Takaaki Nakagami backed by Idemitsu. Nakagami’s 2023 colours were unveiled later in the morning.

While Nakagami’s colours have remained consistent over a season, Castrol has shared the title branding of its bike with Givi.

Rins is taking over from Alex Marquez who joined Gresini Ducati after struggling to 17th last season.