WorldSBK Aragon: Honda’s gamble pays off early with Lecuona in top-six

HRC Honda’s 2022 gamble on signing young riders and changing a lot of their tech suppliers looked a big one back when it was announced.

Winter testing was OK, however - improving - until Xavi Vierge crashed at Barcelona and broke his ribs. In the first WorldSBK race both Vierge and Iker Lecuona had ever faced Lecuona was an impressive sixth and Vierge an equally-impressive seventh.

Surely new WorldSBK recruit Lecuona had to happy with his first day’s work in WorldSBK even if sixth also meant being a second a lap slower than race winner Jonathan Rea. “Yeah. It’s true,” said Iker, grinning from ear-to-ear. “I need to say in general in every test we did this winter we improved day by day. I’m very happy. I was very happy in Barcelona as I finished P3. Right now in Aragon, we struggled more because the track is a bit longer. It’s more complete for me.

‘It’s a lot of fast corners, slow corners, uphill, downhill… The track and for this bike we struggle more, because the potential of the bike is not the fastest corners. So, I struggled all the weekend. This morning I felt good. We improved a little bit the pace, so it’s the objective.

“My pace was fine but we need some tenths. We found these tenths in the morning. Then in the qualifying, it’s the first quali with these tyres so I need to try. I do very well, honestly. Surprised me because I go alone and I finished P7, one second to the top guys. So for me, it’s a really good position for the first race start.

“Then in the race, I hade a very good start. Honestly, a very, very good start. I overtake two guys in the first corner. So I said, ‘okay, until now I need to push, try to follow the top guys to have some gap with the rear.’

“I feel that the five, six first riders have