Having spent much of last year's MotoGP campaign battling back from a dislocated and fractured shoulder at ro༺und one, Alex Rins probably breathed a sigh of relief when he left the 2021 Qatar season-open𝔉ers holding a solid fifth in the early standings.

Little did the Suzuki rider know it would be two and half months before he scored a🤪nother🌄 point.

Enduring the worst run of results since his 2012 Moto3 debut, Rins fell in the next four races, t𝔉hen broke his wrist when he hit a stationary van while writing a text message during some bicycle training at𝔉 the Circuit de Catalunya.

It was a costly l🔴esson for the Spaniard: "If you pay attention to the phone, you don’t pay attention tꦕo the cars or the street. I prefer to hit a van as I did, than to hit a person. It would’ve been even worse. So, this was a clear example."

Rins returned, after surgery, to finish eleventh at the Sachsenring&nbꦐsp;but was looking much s⛦tronger a week later at Assen, where he made early progress to fifth on the opening lap.

However contact during a rough pass by Johann Zarco sent Rins wide and to the back of the field. Although able to recover 11 places, Rins could only match his eleventh from the Sa♎chsenring.

All of which has lefꦦt Rins with a score of just 33 out of a potential 225 points by the summer breakജ and a lowly 14th in the world championship.

That's also 🦹68 points less than team-mate and reigning world champion Joan Mir (fourth overall), a rider Rins has out-qualified in seven of the eight events they have both competed in.

"It's difficult to rate [this first half of the season], because we have good speed, good pace, but 🐎it's alsไo difficult to finish a race for me," Rins said.

"I have a very good t🧔eam behind me. My personal team, my racing team, 💦we are working quite hard all the days, and for sure we didn't get the results this first part of the season. But especially [Assen] I was feeling quite good."

The triple MotoGP race winner revealed that, in response to his run of falls, the team decided to 🥃t🔴ry a switch to his 2020 GSX-RR set-up at Catalunya.

The bicycle wrist injury meant that had to be delayed until Sachsenring, 🌞where he was still riding sore from surgery. Nonetheless, the results so far have been positive.

"Sincerely, since Sachsenring, where we went back to the set-up ♔we were using last year, I was feeling quite good," Rins confirmed.

"I think I was sixth before the rain arrived [in the German GP] and [at Assen] I was in a good position [until the Zarco ꦇincident]. It's difficult to understand, but I think we can do a good second part of the season."

Last season's late charge s🌺aw the #42 climb from twelfth to third overall during theꦑ final five rounds, including a victory at Aragon.

Ten ro🅠unds officially remain this season, but the 123-point gap to Fabio Quartararo means Rins' tit♎le hopes have again already been dashed.

It's also prompted speculation that Rins, who has a deal until the end of 2022, may find his seat under pressure from Maverick Vinales in 🐼future.

"Maybe Maverick will return to Suzuki," Suzuki legend Kevin Schwantz told .

Former Suzuki race winner Vinales is to leave Yamaha at the end of this seasꦏon.