Alex Rins took a risk in Sunday’s Argentine Grand Prix by starting on a soft rear tyre, even against Yamaha's recommendations. He did this to focus on early race performance rather than long-term durability.

It had been a challenging weekend for Yamaha, with all riders struggling due to a lack of rear grip. Rins admitted that his decision was about trying to make the best of a tough situation and find some enjoyment.

"I told the team, ‘let me enjoy at least the first part of the race,’" Rins shared.

While he knew the soft tyre wouldn’t last long and it would be hard to finish, the decision didn’t drastically change his overall result. Rins crossed the line in 12th place, but after Ai Ogura’s disqualification, he was moved up to 11th.

Rins was the top Yamaha rider, with Pramac’s Jack Miller close behind in 13th, and his teammate Fabio Quartararo in 14th. Quartararo had to recover after contact with Marco Bezzecchi.

However, Yamaha’s struggles were highlighted when Luca Marini overtook Rins before the halfway point and managed to pull away by over five seconds.

“It was tough,” Rins admitted. “Even tougher because it was my choice to race with the soft tyre. The team recommended the medium, but I said, ‘let me enjoy at least the first part of the race.’ It’s hard when you push to the limit but the results aren't there. You need to find joy in the ride.”

Rins noted, “After Marini passed me, he pulled five seconds ahead. That’s the reality right now. It’s hard to do more than that.”

This challenging reality was also reflected in the constructors’ standings, where Yamaha has now fallen to last place.

Rins explained that while the bike’s front end still works well, the main issue is with traction and edge grip, which forces him to wait longer before he can apply the throttle.

“In warm-up, I tried a power delivery like a Moto2 bike, really on the floor,” Rins said. “It was better, less spin. But then I got stuck exiting the corners.”

Looking ahead to the next race in Austin, Rins remains cautious. Though he has won races at the Circuit of the Americas with Suzuki and Honda, he is not getting ahead of himself.

“I’m pretty good in COTA, but I’ve also had some podiums here in Argentina,” he said. “I don’t like to compare, but it’s clear that Marc [Marquez] was struggling with the Honda, and now he’s the reference on the Ducati. It’s a combination of the bike and the rider.”

As Rins prepares for COTA, it’s clear that Yamaha has a lot of work to do to turn things around.