First podium of 2020 for Alex Rins, first Suzuki double podium for 13 years

Alex Rins opened up his 2020 podium account in round eight of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship with a charging ride to third from 13th on the grid in the Catalunya MotoGP.

Tipped as a title contender pre-season, it has nonetheless been a difficult season for the Suzuki rider in the wake of a painful shoulder dislocation during the opening round of the season in Jerez.

Though he came close to victory in Austria, only to fall just moments after taking the lead, it would take until this weekend for him to rediscover the form that took him to two victories in 2019.

His first podium since Silverstone 2019, Rins had to work hard for it from 13th on the grid, but would only finish just shy of team-mate Joan Mir, in so doing becoming the 13th different rider to step on the rostrum in 2020.

"It feels great to be back here for the first time since Silverstone, I’ve been trying to fight for the podium and in the end we get it.

"Everyone knows I dislocated my shoulder and after Jerez and Brno I was thinking, I feel 100% because i don’t feel pain on the bone so for my body and mind, it was difficult to understand why I couldn’t ride faster.

"But I want to say thanks to my team because they gave me the motivation to be there and fighting. It is not easy, this 2020 season is going up and down.

"The first guy you want to beat is your team-mate so I am trying to go hard and beat him, he’s doing a good season so let’s see."

The result marks the first time two Suzuki riders have stepped on the podium in the same race as 2007 when John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen finished second and third at Misano.