Alex Rins says he felt he was “risking his life” before retiring from the Czech MotoGP at Brno after a recurring electronics issue made his Yamaha dangerously unpredictable at high speed.
The Spaniard endured a difficult race and eventually returned to the pits with four laps remaining after experiencing the same anti-wheelie problem that had already affected him during Friday’s practice sessions.
Rins initially moved up to 16th after factory team-mate Fabio Quartararo crashed on the opening lap, but he struggled for pace throughout the race and spent most of the afternoon running near the back of the field.
“We had a problem on Friday with the electronics, and today in the race it appeared again,” Rins explained.
“I was risking my life because of the feeling I had on the bike. At 350km/h, it’s not a joke. Everything needs to be under control and working perfectly. If not, it’s really dangerous.”
According to Rins, the issue occurred particularly when accelerating out of corners four and twelve, where the anti-wheelie system behaved erratically.
“I would open the throttle, the RPM would rise, then suddenly the anti-wheelie system would cut the power before coming back again. It was completely unpredictable,” he said.
Concerned about safety, Rins decided to retire rather than continue riding with a bike he no longer trusted.
The former Suzuki race winner admitted that the efforts of riders battling outside the points often go unnoticed, despite the physical demands involved.
“Even when you’re not fighting for points, you’re giving everything. Every muscle is working, you’re holding your breath through parts of the lap, and you’re pushing at the limit,” he said.
“When problems like this happen, it’s incredibly frustrating.”
Despite enduring a difficult season and knowing he will not be part of Yamaha’s future MotoGP plans beyond 2026, Rins insisted he remains committed to his role.
“I cannot complain. I’m an employee and my job is to be ready and give 100 percent every weekend,” he said.
Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli confirmed the technical issue, stating that Rins chose to return to the garage after detecting an unusual malfunction during the race.
The Brno weekend proved challenging for Yamaha overall, with Toprak Razgatlioglu finishing as the manufacturer’s top rider in 14th place, while Jack Miller crossed the line in 16th.
