Alex Rins: Thai GP showed Yamaha made “very low step” with 2025 MotoGP bike
Yamaha’s strong pre-season form didn’t translate to good Thai GP
Alex Rins believes Yamaha has only made “a very low step” with its 2025 MotoGP bike compared to last year after it struggled at the Thai Grand Prix.
Yamaha ended the pre-season as one of the surprise packages, but struggled to replicate that form at the opening round of the 2025 campaign in Buriram.
Pramac’s Jack Miller qualified an impressive fourth, but tumbled to 11th in the grand prix due to a loose fairing, while Fabio Quartararo faded from 10th to 15th as a result of a lack of grip.
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Miguel Oliveira was 14th on the sister Pramac bike, while Rins failed to score points in 17th.
The lack of traction on the M1 that has been an issue for the past few years was seemingly accentuated at a sweltering Buriram, with Michelin’s stiffer rear tyre carcass for the event not helping the Yamaha’s cause.
Rins says he was “at 100% every lap” during the grand prix, which made the final few tours “a mess to manage”.
“Looking at the performance, honestly compared to yesterday we did a step forward - a small step forward,” said Rins after Sunday’s race.
“I was able to reduce the speed of the bike, I was able to go into the corner in a better way compared to yesterday [in the sprint]; yesterday I struggled a lot.
“But for sure I was at 100% every lap. So, the last four laps, in corner four I lost the front completely and from that point to the end of the race it was a mess to manage.
“It was really difficult for me, I was losing the front, the rear. A consequence of going 100% every lap.
“For sure this is not the result the Yamaha riders want to finish in. I mean, Jack finished 11th, four laps to the end I was 14th, Fabio 15th, Miguel 14th, myself 17th in the end.
“It’s important to take all the info and analyse why and improve. This is the actual mindset. Looks like we made a step from last year, but a very low step. So, let’s go for it.”
Rins warned that the expected low-grip conditions in the coming Argentina round will also likely pose an issue for the Yamaha.
“I don’t know. The level right now is this, at least in this track,” he added.
“Sure, we are going to go to Argentina. It’s two years since we rode there, since ’23.
“For sure in FP1 we are going to struggle because in low-grip conditions we are ones who really struggle.
“Then let’s see where we are. But for sure we need to see it, we need to have a meeting and see the points.
“In [the] Sepang [test], it was quite good, we did quite a good test.
“Here in the test, Fabio was quite fast but this weekend he couldn’t show the potential he showed on the test.
“So, it’s what I say: we improved from last year, but very low. So, we need to keep working and we need to keep looking on the things to improve.”
Quotes provided by Crash MotoGP Editor Peter McLaren
