Alex Rins' day of reckoning: in 2026 he hopes to make a comeback with the Yamaha V4

These are tough years for Rins; the next one could be decisive for his career: much will depend on him and much on Yamaha.

We’ve said it many times and it’s common knowledge: in 2026 there will be a very interesting rider market to follow. Almost all the contracts on the grid will be expiring, and there could be several changes for 2027. Some even risk losing their seat, and among those on the list is Alex Rins, who has struggled quite a bit in his two seasons riding the Yamaha M1.

The Catalan rider turned 30 on December 8 and joined the factory Monster Energy Yamaha team in 2024, after a year with the LCR Honda team. Despite a season with just 31 points scored and an 8th place as his best race result, the Iwata manufacturer renewed his contract for two years.

2025 went a bit better, as he collected 68 points, but he still finished a disappointing 19th in the overall MotoGP standings. He scored points in just one sprint race (8th at Le Mans) and only three times finished in the top 10 in a long race (7th at Phillip Island as his best result). Not impressive results, even though with the M1 the only one to pull off any exploits has been Fabio Quartararo. The technical situation is truly complicated, and we’ll have to see if it improves for 2026, the year Yamaha will race with a V4 engine.

The Iwata-based company has invested heavily in recent years to improve its racing department and become a MotoGP frontrunner again, implementing a true revolution. We’ll see whether next year, the last with the current technical regulations, brings us a more competitive Yamaha. Keep in mind it will still enjoy all the benefits provided by Grade D concessions; it will be the only one in that situation, since the 2025 results moved Honda up to Grade C.

Rins knows that 2026 could be a decisive year for his career and hopes to have an M1 in his hands capable of putting him back in the fight for results that will allow him to remain in MotoGP. Otherwise, he too might end up considering a move to the World Superbike Championship.