With a week to go until the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship ignites for round four of the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, one rider gets a chance to showcase himself at the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto in MotoGP™. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) will have big boots to fill as he replaces eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez in the Repsol Honda Team this weekend, with the #93 out injured following a first-round crash at Portimao.
From Assen to Jerez. From @WorldSBK to @MotoGP. @LecuonaIker is ready for the #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/28ZiRJsuqD
— Repsol Honda Team (@HRC_MotoGP) April 27, 2023
Lecuona has plenty of experience in the MotoGP™ paddock, with two podiums achieved in Moto2™ before he graduated up to the premier class, where he’d become a top six finisher and regular top ten contender in what was his final season in 2021. He then switched to WorldSBK and the factory Honda outfit, where he instantly impressed with a first podium of the season during round two at Assen. In 2023, he’s been luckless in the last two rounds with crashes catching him out, but ahead of racing in Barcelona, he’ll have the chance to prove himself in MotoGP™.
Speaking ahead of the weekend on Thursday afternoon, Lecuona was somewhat surprised at the chance to return to MotoGP™ for a round: “The feeling was crazy, honestly! I don’t understand a lot about this, maybe one and a half days. When I got told the news, wow, it was a big surprise for me. I didn’t expect it as I expected that Marc is here and that I am at home. I said yes, of course. It’s my dream team. It’s an amazing opportunity so thanks to Honda, Team HRC and Box Repsol; I appreciate it a lot that they’ve given me this opportunity. I’ll try to enjoy because I think that is what this opportunity is for.”
Continuing about what he hopes to get out of this weekend and if he has set any goals, Lecuona commented: “I don’t have any expectations, I’ll just try to enjoy. It’s the first time in two years that I’m back in this paddock and on these bikes, so there are a lot of new things to understand. It’s also the first time with Honda and this machine. I need to learn and we’ll see how Friday goes. I am very excited to start!”
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Source: WorldSBK.com