«What are we doing?» — Alex Rins’ blunt comment underlines scale of Yamaha frustrations

Alex Rins’ United States Grand Prix weekend was derailed by a series of electronic issues, but it was his unusually candid reaction to them that highlighted the growing frustration within Yamaha.

The Japanese manufacturer’s ambitious decision to redesign the M1 around a new V4 engine has left its MotoGP riders in a difficult situation so far in 2026. 

But while Rins has generally been more measured in his comments than his outspoken team-mate Fabio Quartararo, he didn’t mince his words after being consigned to last place at Austin, a track where he previously won with two different manufacturers.

When asked if he was just riding around while waiting for potential updates to arrive, he replied: “No, no. But during practice, in my second stint, the bike was not working, and I was just running wide with all the brakes.

“I wasn’t able to turn the bike to make the change in directions and everything. I felt useless on the bike. I say, ‘what the f**k I’m doing here?’

“There is time that I don’t enjoy right now, but I was like, what are we doing?”

To be clear, Rins’ comments weren’t about the general competitive level of the Yamaha, but how technical issues left him with a bike that didn’t behave as expected.

The Spaniard was already on the back foot on Friday after both his bikes suffered electronic gremlins. Yamaha could only fix one of the two M1s, but it wasn’t the one with his preferred set-up. 

So, while other riders were pushing to the limit to earn a direct entry into Q2, Rins ended up 21st and last in the timesheets, more than two seconds off the ultimate pace. More worryingly, he was half a second slower than the next rider in the timesheets, and a second down on Quartararo.

While Rins rejected the suggestion that he was essentially riding aimlessly in the sprint, it was also telling that he went on to explain the situation he faced the previous day.

Yamaha riders already have to contend with a bike that is well off the pace of its rivals. In Sunday’s race, the M1s occupied the final four spots on the table.  But when additional problems such as technical issues arise, it pushes an already difficult situation to the limit.

Rins would be hampered by further electronic issues for the rest of the weekend, including in the grand prix itself. As he explained, “I was opening the throttle and the bike was not giving the answer”, and the second-most successful rider at Austin finished more than 11 seconds behind the other three Yamahas on the grid.

Those persistent issues added to the strain on the 30-year-old, who has scored just three points so far in 2026.

“We had many problems this weekend. Problem with the two bikes in qualifying [practice] and in Q1, a small problem with the fuel pump that forced us to exit last [from the pitlane] for that stint,” he revealed.

“But as you can imagine, we always try to give our 100%. But sometimes when these problems happen, it’s difficult to maintain this 100% [level] of pushing as a rider. So, it was quite tough for me to manage this weekend.”

Rins’ future in doubt

Yamaha’s move to a V4 engine concept was always intended as a longer-term bet, particularly with sweeping new technical regulations slated for introduction in 2027.

However, Rins may not be a part of Yamaha’s future in the new 850cc era, with the Iwata-based brand debating whether to retain him next year — even though it has to deal with the loss of its star rider Quartararo to Honda.

While it could be argued that Rins did not live up to the promise in his two years on the previous-generation M1, he admitted that the current situation is making it harder for him to prove he deserves another opportunity in MotoGP.

“It’s been a long time since I’m not enjoying the bike,” he said. “Apart from this, I don’t know if I’m going to be here next year, so I also need to find my place. With the results that we are having, for sure it’s not helping [me].”

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— The Motorsport.com Team