Seventh in the 2016 World Championship with Cal Crutchlow and his RC213V, the LCR team (Lucio Cecchinello Racing) started in MotoGP in 2006 with Casey Stoner. This team benefits from increased confidence from Honda which, as was recently the case at Sepang, entrusts part of the development to its satellite team.
It was after 20 years of competition as a driver, 377 races, 73 podiums, 21 victories and a place as vice-World Champion that Lucio decided to put away his leathers and replace it with a suit and tie. From its head office in Monaco, it operated from 1996 Noboru Ueda, Alex de Angelis, Roberto Locatelli and Mattia Pasini in 125 and 250, before attempting the great adventure in MotoGP with Stoner (Honda RC211V), then Carlos Checa, Randy de Puniet and Toni Elias (RC212V), and finally Stefan Bradl, Jack Miller and Cal Crutchlow (RC213V).
Following the recent Sepang tests, Cecchinello traveled to Tokyo where he was received at Honda headquarters. “ It was very interesting, because it was my first time going to Honda headquarters. Normally I go to HRC. It was a good meeting. They are working hard to improve the performance of the bike, and it is clear that Honda is becoming more and more committed to satellite teams because they can see other manufacturers doing the same thing.
“Last year they won the World Constructors' Championship by just 13 points, and Cal scored 70 points for them! They won the drivers' title, yes, but the constructors' title is also very important for them.
“HRC works in many motorsport disciplines, and that's why they can't produce every new development and have it tested by three or four drivers. They do the tests first with the factory team and eventually with us too. »
Pictures : LCR
Source: MCN
