If the last Valencian Grand Prix was the twilight of the 2019 MotoGP season, it was also the dawn of Iker Lecuona's new career. The 19-year-old Spaniard was in fact exfiltrated from a Moto2 in which he was beginning to blossom to be thrown into the deep end of the elite riding a KTM. A challenge that he had to take up squarely during an FP1, not really the best time to get his bearings, among seasoned drivers looking for the time... And yet, the Tech3 driver did admirably. Which obviously gave him an appetite!
Iker Lecuona is where we least expected it. And he showed adaptation skills that we hardly suspected in him. A smashing entry that recalls another: that of fabio quartararo on a Yamaha. The Spaniard revealed himself with a reluctant KTM and in an official meeting. The feat must therefore be compared in itself, notwithstanding the results.
« I made my debut at home, in front of all my friends and family in Valencia. I was fast and fought with a factory rider. For me it was a perfect weekend ", remember lecuona which replaced a Miguel Oliveira shoulder surgery.
« I surprised myself because I was very relaxed during this weekend. Lorenzo was standing on the grid in front of me, I looked around and all my idols were on the same grid. I became very nervous. But when the lights come on, you forget everything. It was the best weekend of my life ", said the pilot KTM born in Valencia.
However, the newcomer is aware that he still has a lot of work to do: “ I need to work on a thousand things with the team, which is new for me. The bike, the tires, the electronics, everything is new to me. »
The first winter tests in Valencia and Jerez allowed lecuona to rank 16th and 21st in the general classification. With Alex Marquez, starting as a Honda official and Brad Binder, arriving as a KTM factory rider, the Tech3 rider will have to take up the challenge of fighting for the title of best rookie of the 2020 MotoGP season. Will he be the successor to fabio quartararo ?
« Of course, it is possible to fight for the rookie title. I don't know if Álex will find a good feeling on his bike. But I'm sure Binder will be fast with the KTM. So I have to improve more compared to him. But maybe it's possible Said a lecuona cautiously optimistic.
