The curtain falls on the 2023 WorldSBK season at Jerez
Circuito de Jerez - Angel NietoTeam HRC and factory riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona have now concluded the final race of the 2023 Superbike World Championship season at the Jerez Circuit in Spain.
Team HRC and factory riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona have now concluded the final race of the 2023 Superbike World Championship season at the Jerez Circuit in Spain.
The ten-lap Superpole race ran in dry but very cloudy conditions in the late morning. Iker and Xavi were lying twelfth and thirteenth through the opening lap. Unfortunately, Lecuona suffered a crash before the end of lap one after another rider suffered a technical problem that left oil on the track. The race was red flagged as a result and restarted once the track had been cleaned, shortened to eight laps. Lecuona briefly visited the medical centre after his incident and was deemed fit to restart the race, despite a shoulder contusion.
This time, Vierge and Lecuona were lying thirteenth and fifteenth respectively in the early stages. Crashes for several riders mid-race saw the Team HRC duo move up into tenth and twelfth place on lap five. Vierge was able to hold his position all the way to the line to round out the top ten, while Lecuona, battling the pain, dropped one place on the final lap to close thirteenth.
Later in the day, the Superbike riders lined up for the final race of the season. At the end of lap one, Vierge was lying thirteenth and Lecuona fifteenth. Able to make up one position each in the early stages, the Team HRC duo did their best to maintain a consistent pace. Xavi was able to complete the race inside the points zone, crossing the line thirteenth, with Iker valiantly finishing this final race in sixteenth place.
In the final 2023 championship standings, Vierge finishes tenth overall with 149 points while Lecuona positions thirteenth with a tally of 143. The two Spaniards and Team HRC will be back on track at Jerez for two days of testing on 22-23 November.
Team HRC takes the opportunity to bid farewell to Team Manager Leon Camier, who will leave Honda to pursue new career challenges. The entire team and everyone at HRC thanks Leon for his commitment, hard work, and sunny attitude over the last three years, and wishes him all the very best for the future.
I think I gave it my all on this last day of a season that has undoubtedly been challenging. There have been ups and downs, yes, but also some very positive highlights, like my first WorldSBK podium at Mandalika, which was amazing, an unforgettable Suzuka 8 Hours win, and a top ten finish in the general standings, not our target of course but nevertheless the result of a lot of hard work from myself, the team and everyone at HRC. And so I want to thank everyone involved. Now we have a few weeks to re-charge the batteries before turning our attention to a long and very important winter testing season so that we are well prepared for next season. Last but not least, I want to wish Leon (Camier) a fond farewell; it has been a pleasure to share these last two seasons with him. It was the first time in my career that I could count on a former rider as team manager, and he has been a big help. Thanks so much Leon, and I wish you all the best for the future.
First of all, I want to say thanks to Pete (Jennings) and Leon (Camier) who have been my crew chief and Team Manager over the last two years. It’s not always been easy, but we’ve enjoyed many good races and good times together, so a big thanks to them both. As for today, it wasn’t easy after I crashed in the Superpole race. I couldn’t avoid some oil spilled on track after Dominique broke his engine through turn five, just in front of me. I was so close I couldn’t switch line and crashed, hitting my right shoulder so hard that I thought I’d broken or dislocated something. Luckily this was not the case, and the medical tests came back negative. I really wanted to complete the season and so I jumped back on the bike and just tried to finish the race. I was unable to make any real progress due to the pain, but I was able to hold my place in the group. I knew the longer race would be difficult but again I felt I could ride and did it, for Pete, Leon my team and everyone who has helped me so much during the season, support that I’ve very much appreciated. Thank you, guys!
