‘You need to fight with the bike to go fast’ - Lecuona

Iker Lecuona returns to his Honda WorldSBK this week as HRC prepares for its first winter test at Jerez.

Just over a month since a massive highside at Indonesia ruled the Spaniard out of the final stages of the 2022 season - having sustained fractured vertebrae and sacrum following a turn four crash in FP2 - Lecuona has been back training on two wheels in preparation for three days of testing at the Andalucian circuit.

“I feel good,” Lecuona confirmed from Jerez on Monday. “Was a big highside. The last weeks I start to ride with the bike, Supermoto, flat track, last week with the bicycle. Trying to recover a little bit the power before coming here to Jerez for the first test.

“I feel good. Maybe not 100 per cent, for sure I need some time because, two or three weeks I cannot do nothing. But yeah, I’m very happy to be here so we’ll see during the test how it is.”

His rookie season in the Superbike World Championship proved an up and down affair. Initially struggling to get to grips with the CBR1000RR-R after two years in MotoGP and four in Moto2, the 22 year old secured both a podium and pole position in his debut year.

“This year was amazing for me, honestly,” he reflected. “From many years, I struggle a lot in Moto2, MotoGP. I never have a bike for fight in front. Maybe this year also we don’t have the best bike but I enjoy. I feel the support from Honda, I feel the support from my team, from the family so this gives me an extra energy all the year.

“In the second round in Assen I made this podium, was unbelievable for me, then in Barcelona made the pole position. In general was everything really good for me.

“Honestly, I’m very, very excited about this year,” he continued, looking ahead to 2023. “After the crash in