Honda rider Iker Lecuona will continue to ride for Honda in the 2024 season: However, it is open in which championship the Japanese will place the Spaniard
Iker Lecuona has been a Honda factory rider since the 2022 season. The world’s largest motorbike manufacturer signed Lecuona for the 2022 WSBK and also used the Spaniard’s services in MotoGP this year. At Jerez and Assen, Lecuona stepped in as a substitute rider and will also ride a Honda RC213V at Silverstone next weekend. But what will happen in 2024?
Honda has not yet announced with which riders they will compete in MotoGP next year. Marc Marquez has a contract, but before the summer break he repeatedly made very critical comments about his joint future with Honda. And Joan Mir and Alex Rins are also being linked to other manufacturers and teams.
If Marquez, Mir and Rins switch, Honda will then only have Takaaki Nakagami left in the squad. A place at Honda is not particularly appealing at the moment, because the RC213V is not competitive and is also unpredictable at times, as the many crashes of Marquez, Mir, Rins and Nakagami show.
MotoGP 2024: Will Honda call on the services of Iker Lecuona?
Lecuona would be willing to pilot a Honda in the 2024 MotoGP season. “The bottom line is that I work for HRC. If they tell me I have to go to MotoGP because it would help, then of course I’ll do it,” notes the Spaniard.
“If they tell me to ride here and be ready as a substitute rider for injured riders, then I do it, as it will be the case next weekend at Silverstone,” explains Lecuona, who takes over Alex Rins’ bike at LCR.
“I’m happy to be a factory rider,” Lecuona clarifies. “I can’t choose it, but I am still happy. I don’t know yet what my future holds. “
No participation in the Suzuka 8 Hours
Due to his involvement in MotoGP at Silverstone, Lecuona will not be able to repeat his last year’s victory at the Suzuka 8 Hours. Honda will again go into the endurance race as big favourites. “I’m missing Suzuka this year,” regrets the Honda rider.
“It has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that I can’t win it for the second time this year. The good thing is that I can race in MotoGP again. It’s a completely different feeling when you ride this bike. It’s a real bike,” said Lecuona.
Doesn’t the constant changes between Superbike and MotoGP bike have a negative effect on the feeling? “I switched back and forth between the 8-hour bike, the superbike and the MotoGP bike three times in the same week and it wasn’t a problem for me,” notes Lecuona.
Currently only 13th in World Championship: Iker Lecuona experiences mixed second WSBK season
In the current WSBK season, Lecuona has not experienced many highlights so far. After two thirds of the season, the highly touted Honda factory rider is only P13 in the rider standings. Team-mate Xavi Vierge is tenth overall and has already been on the podium.
Honda could hardly improve this year, although they enjoy great freedom from the regulations thanks to the super concessions and were allowed to make changes to the frame, which is a big revolution in the World Superbike Championship, where the bikes are based on production models.
“It helps, but it’s not enough,” Lecuona comments on the modifications to the Fireblade. “We had a meeting at the test for the 8 Hours a month ago. The parts help, but we haven’t made a really big step with them yet. We couldn’t fix the problem,” regrets the Honda factory rider.
