Iker Lecuona can give hope to a rider like Remy Gardner by showing that there is life after failure in MotoGP. Both went through KTM, only to reveal themselves and stumble, and the Spaniard, given his performances displayed on the Honda in WSBK, as in Endurance, shows that you have to choose your machine and your moment carefully to face the elite of the Grand Prix. Xavi Virginie's teammate on the CBR triple R learned his lesson by refusing what seemed like a great offer. He confides. And also on KTM.
Iker Lecuona is at Magny-Cours, the track which marks the return of the WSBK in its last part of the season. Riding a CBR triple R, he does not deserve anything while the same bike, but Endurance version, gave him the pleasure of triumphing at the last 8 hours from Suzuka. An achievement that still counts for a career with the Japanese... However, from Nièvre, he made this revelation in the columns of GP One : he was requested by HRC to replace Marc Marquez after the latter left to undergo his fourth and final operation on his right arm… “ I had the opportunity, but I can't say more, because then my manager pulls my ears » swears the Spaniard. “ I confirm that I could have replaced Marc, but it wouldn't have made sense, given that my priority is Superbike.
« In this WSBK World Cup we are all giving everything to achieve a good result. MotoGP could certainly be interesting, but there was the risk of having a race and crashing. This could have compromised my work in the SBK paddock. Superbike is my priority, we are progressing considerably and I feel good on this bike. So I don't see the reason to change focus » he specifies. It thus confirms that the current RC213V is a real foil. By the way, Ai Ogura made clear his lack of enthusiasm to discover MotoGP with her, thus guaranteeing the continuation of the adventure for his compatriot Taka Nakagami.
Iker Lecuona: “ at the beginning with Petrucci our relationship was not like that because of a lot of internal bullshit at KTM »
Iker Lecuona was therefore wise, and this discernment seems to have come to him from his experience with KTM. He comments on this aspect: “ with KTM I suffered a lot and this was also the case for all the other drivers like Petrucci, Oliveira, Binder. As I have said many times, I thank KTM for this opportunity, even if it didn't end well. I don't deny that I would have liked to stay in MotoGP, but today I am here in SBK at the center of a project ". He nevertheless specifies: “ the drivers who replaced us also suffered a lot this season ».
To close the chapter KTM, he speaks, of his former teammate Danilo Petrucci, and the relations he has with him today, since the end of the Clockwork Orange period: “ there is a good relationship with Petrux. He wrote to me after the Suzuka victory to congratulate me. I often follow him on his adventure in America and I wish him the best for the end of the season. At first, however, our relationship wasn't like that because of a lot of internal bullshit at KTM. We were both fighting for a saddle and it wasn't easy. Today, however, everything is different ».
