Honda HRC targets further gains after encouraging Estoril start
Circuito EstorilJake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra both within eight tenths of the fastest time in Friday’s combined free practice standings, but aiming for more.
The Honda HRC team made a promising start to the eleventh Superbike World Championship round, which got underway today at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal.
Out on Friday for two practice sessions, factory riders Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra made the most of their track time. Racing at the Portuguese circuit for the first time, Dixon worked throughout the day to build on what he had learned during a recent test session. Chantra, who has competed at Estoril in the past, focused on refamiliarising himself with the track aboard the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP.
The weekend’s opening practice session saw both riders make a determined start. Making progress throughout the 45-minute session and demonstrating very similar pace, Dixon placed twelfth at the end of FP1 with a time of 1’36.528, followed by Chantra in fourteenth with a 1’36.599.
Later in the day, the team continued to build on the work completed during FP1, with both riders improving their lap times during the second session. Dixon ultimately set a best of 1’35.964 in the final moments of FP2, placing eighth in the day’s combined standings, just 0.532 seconds off the fastest time.
Working with his technicians, Chantra also took a good step forward during the afternoon session, improving on his morning’s best by more than four tenths to set a 1’36.179. The Thai rider finished twelfth in FP2 and thirteenth in the combined standings, just 0.747 of a second off the fastest time of the day. The close competition was reflected in the combined classification, with the top fourteen riders separated by just 0.752 of a second.
With Friday’s practice sessions complete, the Honda HRC team will now focus on preparing for Saturday’s Superpole qualifying session and the first race of the weekend.
“Honestly, despite not being too far off the fastest time, it’s been one of the most demanding Fridays I’ve had since returning. We struggled with several aspects of the setup, particularly with the balance of the bike and the way the electronics are working. Eighth position is not that bad, but definitely not where we want to be either. We want to be fighting closer to the top five, and right now we’re still some way off. The team will work hard tonight to try to find some solutions, and we’ll use FP3 tomorrow to fine-tune the setup as much as possible. Hopefully, we can take a step forward and be in a stronger position for qualifying and the race.”
“Honestly, despite not being too far off the fastest time, it’s been one of the most demanding Fridays I’ve had since returning. We struggled with several aspects of the setup, particularly with the balance of the bike and the way the electronics are working. Eighth position is not that bad, but definitely not where we want to be either. We want to be fighting closer to the top five, and right now we’re still some way off. The team will work hard tonight to try to find some solutions, and we’ll use FP3 tomorrow to fine-tune the setup as much as possible. Hopefully, we can take a step forward and be in a stronger position for qualifying and the race.”
“It’s been a promising first day here at Estoril. In FP1, we tried some new electronics settings, and I was happy with the result. My technicians and engineers have been working very hard on the electronics throughout the year, and I feel we are now starting to make progress in that area. Although we still have work to do, today was very encouraging. In FP2, we focused on further improving our lap time and made some setup changes to find more rear grip which worked well. We were able to improve our pace, so I’m happy with today’s progress. Tomorrow, I’ll focus on putting together a good qualifying lap.”
“It’s been a promising first day here at Estoril. In FP1, we tried some new electronics settings, and I was happy with the result. My technicians and engineers have been working very hard on the electronics throughout the year, and I feel we are now starting to make progress in that area. Although we still have work to do, today was very encouraging. In FP2, we focused on further improving our lap time and made some setup changes to find more rear grip which worked well. We were able to improve our pace, so I’m happy with today’s progress. Tomorrow, I’ll focus on putting together a good qualifying lap.”
