Vierge top ten in race 1 at Assen, Lecuona ruled unfit after FP3 crash
TT Circuit AssenWith Iker Lecuona ruled unfit for today, after sustaining a (right) knee injury in a crash during FP3, Xavi Vierge tackled a wet Superpole and Superbike Race 1 as the lone Team HRC representative today.
The TT Circuit Assen is staging the third round of the 2024 Superbike World Championship, but conditions remain far from ideal for Team HRC and the rest of the WorldSBK field. With Iker Lecuona ruled unfit for today, after sustaining a (right) knee injury in a crash during FP3, Xavi Vierge tackled a wet Superpole and Superbike Race 1 as the lone Team HRC representative today.
Continuing yesterday’s trend, the third and final practice ran in full wet conditions (air temp. 5°C, track temp. 8°C). The Team HRC duo had hoped for a dry session in which to make some final assessments ahead of the races but instead they faced more rain, doing what they could in the limited time available to prepare for the eventuality of a wet race. Lecuona unfortunately suffered a crash in the final minutes and was taken to the circuit medical centre. A right knee contusion means that doctors ruled him out of continuing today, though the Spaniard will be reassessed tomorrow morning to see whether he is able to return to the track for the final races.
Superpole brought more of the same, with Vierge and the rest of the SBK field facing a full wet track. Riding for the entire 15 minutes, Xavi gradually built confidence and lowered his times, second by second, as the track began to dry. A best of 1’44.095 set in the final seconds was enough to secure the Spaniard a place on the fourth row of the grid, in twelfth position, for race 1.
The first of the weekend’s two 21-lap races got underway under light rain and on a wet track. Vierge made a good start from fourteenth, positioning eleventh through lap one as the rain intensified. On slick tyres like almost the entire field, Xavi was careful to avoid any mistakes in the first laps, but as certain sections of the track began to dry, the pace picked up across the board. Vierge held eleventh for the best part of the race, progressing to tenth on lap fourteen. On the very same lap, the race was red-flagged after another rider left oil on the track. With two thirds of the race distance complete, the race was declared finished, meaning that Xavi scored a top ten finish today.
Tomorrow’s Superpole race and second Superbike race will round out this third WorldSBK championship round.
Challenging conditions once again here at Assen. The team worked really well between FP3 and qualifying to refine the bike setup, and I felt much better during the Superpole. With mixed conditions in Race 1, we opted for slick tyres, which was the correct choice as the track was drying out. At first, some sections were still damp, and I felt strong and fast there, but I was slower through the dry sectors compared to other riders. This unfortunately affected our race as we didn't have enough to be able to stay with them. Now, we'll work in preparation for tomorrow to see if we can find a little more to stay closer. It seems the weather will be a bit more stable, so we'll see if we can make a step forward.
I felt OK during the fully wet FP3 session, and I was really unlucky to crash during the very last minute. I braked a little too late and just lost it. I hit my right knee and immediately felt intense pain. I'm not fit to compete today and will undergo further checks tomorrow morning. Hopefully, the ligaments aren't damaged, but the pain seems severe for it to be just a knock. We'll reassess the situation tomorrow.
