Honda: Vierge and Lecuona between desire and frustration / Superbike World Championship

No one in the Honda Racing Corporation factory team was satisfied with the results in the 2024 World Superbike Championship with the new CBR1000RR-R, even in Japan. And like any other dedicated manufacturer, Honda is also working on improvements, but the progress is very small and does not show in the best results.

As a reminder: no Honda driver achieved single digit results at Phillip Island and Barcelona. Xavi Vierge achieved his best finish so far in tenth place in the first race of the season.

For Honda, the third event of the season in Assen is about drawing the right conclusions from the data collected so far so as not to increase the risk of driver frustration.

“I love Assen and I’m looking forward to racing again after a long break,” Vierge assured. “We had the opportunity to analyze and reflect on how things went in Catalunya. We know our current situation is not easy, but I am looking forward to working with my team and HRC engineers to find out how we can improve and fight for strong results.

The Dutch track was the final podium spot of the 2022 season, when Iker Lecuona finished third in the second race. However, the two main drivers, Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu, were nowhere to be found. The 24-year-old player has refused to finish this year.

“Finishing on the podium makes Assen my best Superbike memory, but I’ve also had strong races in MotoGP before,” said Lecuona. “After struggling a lot in Catalunya, I’m expecting a tough weekend. However, we won’t know until we’re back on track. It would be great if we could find the track and the bike setup.”