After dislocating ꧃and fracturing his right shoulder at round one, Alex Rins returned to action at Jerez the following weekend and brave💝d the pain for the reminder of the 2020 MotoGP season.

The Suzuki star's reward was the team's first victory of t♚he yea𒅌r, at Aragon - one of four podiums in the final seven rounds that took Rins to third in the world championship, 32 points from victorious team-mate Joan Mir.

After November's Portimao finale, R🎃ins planned to have ⛄his shoulder examined in case winter surgery was required.

No operation was forthcoming and an update from Rins confirmed that he is 'impressed' with the strength of his shoulder 🍬and feels 'like perfect' with one month to go until th🌌e delayed start of pre-season testing.

"I’m really impr꧟essed because the shoulder is doing very well," said the Spaniard. "In the gym I don’t have any problems now.

"Before this problem on the right shoulder, a♛lways in the gym I had problems with the left one [compensating for the injury]. Now I’m feeling like perfect."

"For sure now I’m in a better situation with my shoulder more stable. I’m ready now," Rins added. "My target is to fight for the [riders'] world championship, because last year we were close and our bike [with Mir] and te🐽am won world championships."

As well as his shoulder injury, like all riders Rins had to deal with 🦂the constant threat of a positive Covid test preventin🐓g him from racing in 2020.

It looks like the strict protocol of pre-event PCR tests, c🔜losed paddocks, social distancing 'bubblﷺes' and absence of fans will continue at the start of this season.

"Alre🥂ady last year our risk level was very 🐻low and, for sure, I will take the least risk possible now because it looks like the [Covid] situation is getting worse," he said.

"In the end, if the situation doesn’t change the [Covid protocols] will be like last year [again]. It’s a shame not to have the public at the track and the paddock empty. But in the end, it’𒐪s the best we can do in this situation."