In the field of sports, Honda is also involved in a World Superbike with a CBR triple R which will attack its fourth campaign in WSBK. It will especially be the second with its young duo composed of Iker Lecuona and It was therefore necessary for the two Spaniards coming straight from the Grands Prix to get their bearings with the team, the machine, the environment and certain tracks… Which is a lot. 2023 should be better and in particular because the official Tokyo team will benefit from concession points in the regulations.
Unlike MotoGP, which has gone into hibernation, for a calm before the storm of a new season characterized by a new format, WSBK is just taking a break. A simple truce from the confectioners that Xavi Verge recalls: “ we finished the 2022 season quite late, and we will start 2023 quite quickly. So, we don't have so much time, but we have to work very hard, be precise and work in the right way because the goal is to start the season trying to fight for the podium as soon as possible ».
The 2023 WSBK season kicks off in just over three months, at Phillip Island in Australia: “ for next year we will start with a different state of mind than this year » assures for his part Iker Lecuona. " We know the bike has recorded pole position in Barcelona, a few fourth places at many circuits, and a podium, so we have the potential. We will start with the belief that we can fight for the podium if everything works well. We'll see how the tests go and then we'll talk about next year and performance ».
« The objective is to have great potential to start the season at the top » continues the former Tech3 KTM in MotoGP. “ We want to fight for the title and if we want to achieve that, we need to develop the bike quickly » he adds. “ Honda is doing everything possible to bring us new equipment. I hope we arrive with a lot of potential to fight for the best places. Everyone wants to win, the drivers, the team, the factory, so we have to give our best every day ».
« The experience gained in one year with the Honda will be a big advantage for us«
Will these famous dealership points, shared in passing with BMW, help? Virgin takes control: “We have great concessions, but we don't have much time. It’s certain that the super concessions will help us. It's the same bike but we can adjust the front wheel position settings, which will make our life easier. The problem is that we benefited from these concessions at the end of the year and in difficult conditions. Every time we went to the track it varied, so it's difficult to understand and enjoy the settings. When we arrived in Australia the conditions were crazy so it was difficult to see a clear stage. However, we now have trials to take advantage of, we are doing a good job, this year we have made a lot of progress and for next year, we will fight at the top ».
The Spaniard concludes on the wsbk website : " I think that if we don't change anything in the package that we already have, with one year of experience, our level will improve. However, even with that, Honda and Team HRC are working hard so that we can be even better. We have a bike that performs really well down the stretch and a bike that, depending on the circuit, is really competitive. We need to understand and use our experience to start well every weekend, because this year some tracks were new and we lost time on Friday. The experience gained in one year will be a big advantage for us ».
