Source: Supplied.

Team Suzuki Ecstar’s decision to sign Alex Rins was one of the major moves of the 2017 MotoGP silly season and he’s tentatively set himself the target of scoring Rookie of the Year this season.

Rins, 21, finished third in last year’s Moto2 title-chase and will partner Andrea Iannone on-board the factory GSX-RR this year. That duo replaces outgoing Spaniards Maverick Vinales and Aleix Espargaro.

“From what I saw in Valencia, the goal will be to end the season Rookie of the Year and beat the riders I was racing against in Moto2,” Rins commented. “That’s the goal I’m giving myself at the moment. Maybe when I’ve done more laps and I’m more settled in, it will change [to] top 15, top 10… I have no idea.”

Rookie of the Year was a prize taken in 2015 by the man Rins has now replaced at Suzuki – MotoGP’s most recent new winner and the man who just beat him to the 2013 Moto3 crown – Vinales. Replicating that result would be a major accomplishment.

“Obviously it’s going to be a lot of pressure, because I’m replacing Maverick at Suzuki,” he added. “And I have always been racing him and battling with him in the smaller categories. And in Moto2, he left Paginas Amarillas HP40 and I joined them, so there’s always been a bit of comparison, but hopefully that will continue in MotoGP due to me having had two incredible seasons. I’ll try to equal what he did or even beat it.”

Former adversaries in the intermediate class Sam Lowes (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and double Moto2 world champion Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech3) will also line up as rookies this season.