Vierge gaining confidence with Honda WorldSBK

Four days of testing over the past week has left Xavi Vierge positive of the progress made with the Honda WorldSBK so far.

Making the switch from Moto2 to the top fight of the production championship, Vierge has been making steady gains as he acquaints himself with the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, focusing on base set-up alongside adjustments to the bike’s geometry and electronics ahead of April’s season opener at Aragon.

The Spaniard has multiple chances for further testing still on the table after he opted to run solely in the afternoon sessions at Jerez Circuit- Angel Nieto on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the team having already completing laps at Portimao at the end of last week.

“I’m happy because we made good progress throughout this test and with respect to last week’s session,” Vierge explained on the preseason work undertaken so far. “To be honest, having decided to test over just two afternoons, I started both days in the warmest conditions and I struggled at first.

“We worked on some new settings, and it took a little time to adapt to the different feeling but we worked very well with the electronics, adjusting and fine tuning the set-up until we found the way and I was able to get my confidence back. We completed a couple of good long runs, with a pace that was much better compared to the last time we were here. I also made a few practice starts, and we’ve taken a step forward there too.

“The work has been intense, but I was able to make a lot of laps without any problems or delays, which has allowed us to collect a lot of data. Now we must analyse everything in preparation for the next test.”