Iker Lecuona has to miss out due to shoulder injury – Xavi Vierge not in the front field and names the problems of the Honda Fireblade
What had already been foreshadowed during the tests was confirmed at the Superbike World Championship season opener in Australia. Honda played no part in the top field on Phillip Island. What’s more, Iker Lecuona had to throw in the towel after the Friday practice sessions.
Lecuona had crashed during the test on Tuesday and injured his left shoulder. The Spaniard was in a lot of pain during Friday’s practice sessions and was therefore only able to ride a few laps.
“The time gap between me and the top riders was too big, also because I was riding very carefully and was constantly aware that even a small crash could aggravate the problem with my shoulder,” explained Lecuona.
“This meant that I found it difficult to concentrate, as I was aware of my physical limitations and my reduced performance.” The Spaniard mainly felt severe pain when changing direction and during the braking phase.
“After I slammed on the brakes in turn 4, I realized that it would not be safe to continue the rest of the weekend.” It was therefore up to his team-mate Xavi Vierge to pull the coals out of the fire for Honda.
Vierge was 1.1 seconds behind in Superpole. In the first race, the Spaniard battled for tenth place and also finished in tenth position. Things went a little better in the final phase in particular.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough grip at the rear in the first part of the race,” reported Vierge. “My pace improved after the tire change.” He then rode in the same range in the Superpole race and finished twelfth
In the restarted second main race, Vierge saw the chequered flag in 13th place. “Of course we can’t be satisfied, but that’s our reality,” he said plainly. “As a team, we worked well during the tests and on the race weekend.”
“As I mentioned before, the feeling on the bike is not bad, I like riding it. But we are not as fast as the others. We still have a lot of trouble in the corners and when turning in, which makes the battle with other riders incredibly difficult.”
“We constantly have to make up ground under braking. When I ride alone, my pace is not so bad, but when I have to fight with others, I have problems because it is difficult to hold the perfect line in a battle.”
“In addition, this style of driving puts a lot of strain on the tires. Every year the level of the championship gets higher and even small details can make a big difference in terms of performance and results.”
“But we are aware of the situation and know that we have to keep working and try to find a solution – maybe even in the short term.”
The Honda satellite team MIE with riders Adam Norrodin and Tarran Mackenzie were left behind at Phillip Island and scored no championship points