During the Sprint Race in Jerez, Alex Rins rode through pain to finish in 15th place after qualifying last.

There were mixed fortunes in the Monster Energy Yamaha garage on Saturday morning. On one side of the box, Fabio Quartararo was celebrating his first MotoGP pole position since 2022.

However, on the other side, Alex Rins was left last on the grid for the Spanish Grand Prix after a difficult day at Circuito de Jerez. The Spaniard crashed twice during the morning practice session. The first was a harmless hairpin spill, but the second came at Turn Four.

After his second crash at Turn Four, Rins was taken to the medical centre for further check-ups. Rins was declared fit to continue, but later revealed he had a small crack in his wrist, alongside a painful knee distortion.

"It was a big crash this morning," said Rins. "I lost the front at high speed and went into the air fence, hitting the wall. For a crash at that speed, I'm more or less OK. But they found a little crack in my wrist and the knee was very painful."

Rins returned to the track just minutes before Q1 ended, but completed a lap and secured 23rd on the grid.

Riding in discomfort during the 12-lap Sprint, Rins benefited from three retirements ahead as he climbed to 15th place.

"I did the Sprint just to see what my condition is like," he explained. "For sure I'm destroyed now, after a really big crash, all the muscles start to be painful.

"But it was important because we tried a different setup this morning, and I understood it is not the line to follow. We are a bit far from Fabio, so we need to keep working."

Rins was later praised by Team Director Massimo Meregalli for his bravery after completing the Sprint Race

"Mentally and physically, that's a tough situation for a rider to be in, but Alex did well in the Sprint. He gradually regained confidence and made some good overtakes, which will help for Sunday’s long race."