The official news of Iker Lecuona flanked by Xavi Virgo arriving in WSBK as official Honda drivers did not move many people, because it confirmed an already widely spread rumor. And yet, it is a historic fact in the category to see two young drivers still very far from the end of their careers coming to the paddock directly from the Grands Prix. What's more, together, in the same official team and therefore with the status of factory driver. For Honda, it's a double or nothing bet.
Honda has not been careful in renewing its workforce in WSBK. Given the scale of the maneuver, the message seems clear: if the CBR triple R is not a winning machine, it is because the good drivers are not on it. So, after seeing Baptist, 36 years old, heading to Ducati for a reunion, the Japanese gave leave to Leon Haslam, 38 years old. Instead, we inject new blood with Iker Lecuona, currently 21 years old, and Xavi Virgo, 24 years. The bike will not change before 2023. And the new duo has only ridden prototypes, with a character far from a Superbike derived from the series, does not know the Pirellis like certain circuits on the calendar...
But what fly has bitten? Honda ? Iker Lecuona, which will be next year, at 22 years old, one of the youngest riders on the World Superbike starting grid, is aware of the stakes: “ I will be competing in the World Superbike Championship with HRC next year. It will be a great challenge and I'm sure I'll have a lot of fun ". For the overall vision, we must refer to the last World Champion with Honda in WSBK, i.e. James Toseland. The latter gave his feelings on worldsbk.com.
« For the first time in a long time, real new and promising talents from the MotoGP paddock are coming to Superbike, and not just older riders » begins the Englishman. “ Iker Lecuona in particular was unlucky not to find a place in MotoGP with his talent. This is definitely a victory for the World Superbike Championship to have bright young talents like him and Virgo. I think these are the right minds for Honda »
With Iker Lecuona we are also betting on youth in WSBK in 2022
But what about the lack of experience with this type of motorcycle? Precisely because the two Grand Prix riders have no idea what superbikes are, the two-time world champion of the discipline considers them ideal for Honda… “ Sometimes a new rider can get on a bike and do things that weren't possible before, because they have no expectations. Both do not come to the Honda factory team from a factory motorcycle from Kawasaki or Ducati. They do not know better motorcycles and do not develop the motorcycle for themselves, but for the sake of the motorcycle ».
Toseland finished : " Honda has had a lot of problems with some of the top riders over the last couple of years. I think they want a reset ". The future will tell if the youth ofIker Lecuona and Xavi Verge will restart the project Honda or will permanently crash it.
