Alex Rins back for Sachsenring, 'bone almost fixed'

Alex Rins will hope to draw a line under an extraordinary run of bad luck when he makes his MotoGP return at the Sachsenring this weekend.

After falling in four successive races, from Portimao to Mugello, the Suzuki rider then broke his wrist in a bicycle accident on the eve of the Catalunya round.

Rins promptly underwent surgery at the nearby Universitari Dexeus Hospital in Barcelona, which saw the fixation of two screws and has been cleared to make his comeback in Germany.

“After removing the stitches and checking his wrist we consider the mobility of the injury is pretty good and [Rins] will try to race in Germany," said Doctor Xavier Mir. "Of course, he could suffer some pain during the sessions and he might need some physiotherapy”.

“I went to see Doctor Mir for some checks and I feel quite well," Rins added. "He took out the stitches and the bone seems almost fixed. I have some pain when moving my wrist, so I will keep working on my recovery during these days. In any case, I will try to give it my all.

"We didn’t race in Sachsenring last year, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on track here in Germany. I’m very pleased to be back with the team; I can’t wait to see them all and return to racing with my GSX-RR.”

With Sachsenring absent from last year's Covid-reduced calendar, MotoGP's most recent appearance was in 2019 – when Rins crashed out of second place and then rookie team-mate Joan Mir finished in seventh position.

Mir returns to Germany as the reigning MotoGP champion, but currently fifth in the 2021 standings and fighting to stay within touch of Fabio Quartararo, who has a 37-point advantage.

“It will be good to ride in Germany again, I was here in my rookie season in MotoGP and I did well, but obviously we missed out on coming here last year," said Mir. "It’s a circuit I like, it’s quite technical with a lot of ups and downs and blind corners. There are far more left turns than right, so it’s important to make up the difference in the lefts.

"Tyre management is important, and you have to be very precise with your lines. There are not many good overtaking spots, but there’s the first corner and also just after the waterfall section, although in general it’s a hard track to pass at. I’m looking forward to trying for a strong result.”

Mir has taken two podiums in the seven races so far, but made clear in Catalunya that he needs Suzuki to increase its development if he is to defend his crown.

“Joan Mir has had some nice consistent finishes during the last races, and we’re confident that he can continue to build on this success," said project leader and team director Shinichi Sahara.

"We had a test after the race in Catalunya and we’ve worked on some small but useful adjustments which could help us in our quest. Sachsenring is not an easy track but we’re feeling ready for the weekend.”

Suzuki is the only manufacturer currently without a rear holeshot/ride height system.