Vierge eleventh in SBK Race 1 at Phillip Island; Lecuona deemed unfit after a crash during Superpole
Phillip IslandThe Honda HRC team and Vierge eleventh in the season-opener at Phillip Island, while Lecuona is unfortunately ruled out after sustaining a foot fracture in Superpole.
A final free practice gave riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona a final chance to make setup refinements ahead of the Superpole, with both factory riders also able to improve on their earlier references by a few valuable tenths. Having set a respective best of 1’30.011 and 1’30.196 during this brief 20-minute session, Xavi and Iker turned their attention to qualifying.
With just fifteen minutes in which to secure the best possible grid position for Race 1, Vierge and Lecuona made a determined start to the Superpole qualifying session. Luck was unfortunately not on Iker’s side today, with the rider crashing at Turn 9, just four minutes into this brief phase. The session was red-flagged and the rider taken directly to the medical centre for checks. Lecuona was assessed by the doctors and has unfortunately been deemed unfit to continue with the weekend, diagnosed with a fracture of the fourth metatarsal bone in his left foot.
Once the Superpole session resumed, with eleven minutes still on the clock, Vierge was able to put in a fastest time of 1’29.924. This result saw the Spaniard qualify twelfth, though just three tenths of a second from fifth, which demonstrates just how close the classification is. Vierge’s Superpole performance meant that he began the first Superbike race of the 2025 season from the fourth row of the grid.
The 20-lap race got underway at 16.00 local time (CET+10) in hot, sunny conditions, with much higher temperatures than in previous sessions (air 36°C, track 40°C) and with teams obliged to carry out a tyre change between the ninth and eleventh laps. Making a strong start, Vierge was quickly up into tenth, part of a tight group of six or seven riders. Battling with Iannone and the Lowes brothers, the Spaniard pitted to make the obligatory tyre change on lap ten. Placing tenth on his return to the track, Xavi battled hard with his closest rivals through the latter stages of the race, losing just a little ground in the final laps to close eleventh.
The Honda HRC team will conclude this season-opener on Sunday, when Vierge will return to the track for the Superpole race and Race 2.
It has been a tough day overall. First thing in FP3, when the moment to try the soft tyre arrived, I had an issue with the bike and couldn't try that tyre. This meant we went into qualifying without any understanding of its behavior. But the team worked well and fast to solve the issue; the bike was perfect for the session, and all in all, our lap time was not so bad, all things considered. I didn’t make a bad start to the race, and I was close to the front group when another rider made a mistake. In the tussle that followed, I lost contact with the guys ahead. With the lack of grip we are suffering with here, losing the slipstream affected us a lot. We basically have no grip at the rear and the bike was difficult to ride, especially out of the corners. During testing, it wasn't bad; our race pace was good. But as soon as the temperature increased, notably higher today, it was really hard to find traction. The pit stop went well and the team made good changes without any mistakes. That's about it, not much more to say, honestly. We struggled more than expected, but at least we gathered a lot of data in very hot conditions, and we'll analyze it to try to do better tomorrow. Last but not least, I'm really sorry for Iker, it's a pity what happened to him. He's having a hard time, and I wish him all the best to be back as soon as possible.
It has been a tough day overall. First thing in FP3, when the moment to try the soft tyre arrived, I had an issue with the bike and couldn't try that tyre. This meant we went into qualifying without any understanding of its behavior. But the team worked well and fast to solve the issue; the bike was perfect for the session, and all in all, our lap time was not so bad, all things considered. I didn’t make a bad start to the race, and I was close to the front group when another rider made a mistake. In the tussle that followed, I lost contact with the guys ahead. With the lack of grip we are suffering with here, losing the slipstream affected us a lot. We basically have no grip at the rear and the bike was difficult to ride, especially out of the corners. During testing, it wasn't bad; our race pace was good. But as soon as the temperature increased, notably higher today, it was really hard to find traction. The pit stop went well and the team made good changes without any mistakes. That's about it, not much more to say, honestly. We struggled more than expected, but at least we gathered a lot of data in very hot conditions, and we'll analyze it to try to do better tomorrow. Last but not least, I'm really sorry for Iker, it's a pity what happened to him. He's having a hard time, and I wish him all the best to be back as soon as possible.
There’s really not much to say. I was improving my feeling and performance step by step this weekend, and the crash ruined everything. Now it’s time to take a moment to reflect on the steps needed to recover as soon as possible. As soon as I’m back in Spain, I will undergo the necessary medical checks to decide how to proceed.
There’s really not much to say. I was improving my feeling and performance step by step this weekend, and the crash ruined everything. Now it’s time to take a moment to reflect on the steps needed to recover as soon as possible. As soon as I’m back in Spain, I will undergo the necessary medical checks to decide how to proceed.
