Team HRC Heads Into The Season Opener With Confidence

Team HRC Wraps Up Final Pre-Season Test Ahead of 2025 WorldSBK Opener together with official tester and wildcard entry Tetsuta Nagashima.

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As the 2025 Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) season opener at Phillip Island draws near, Team Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) factory riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona, alongside official tester and wildcard entry Tetsuta Nagashima, made the most of a crucial two-day pre-season test on February 17 and 18. The test provided valuable track time to fine-tune their Honda CBR1000RR-R machines ahead of the highly anticipated race weekend.

The test comprised four sessions over two days, with riders alternating track time with the Supersport field. Three of the four sessions were held in dry, sunny conditions, allowing the team to focus on optimizing their setups for the fast and flowing Phillip Island circuit.

Xavi Vierge was in strong form, completing 64 laps on Monday and showing consistent improvement throughout the day. The Spaniard worked closely with his technicians to refine his bike’s setup, particularly focusing on electronics to manage tyre life—a critical factor at Phillip Island.

On the other side of the garage, Iker Lecuona faced additional challenges as he continued to recover from a winter injury. While not yet at 100%, Lecuona completed 23 laps on Monday, despite a minor crash at Turn 6 in the morning session. The team made the decision to end his day early to conserve energy for Tuesday’s sessions.

Tuesday’s morning session saw both riders continue their progress, with Vierge completing 33 laps and Lecuona adding 26 laps to his tally. However, light rain in the early afternoon disrupted plans, leaving most of the WorldSBK field in the garage. Vierge and Lecuona managed to return to the track in the final 20 minutes, completing 7 and 10 laps, respectively, as the track dried.

With Phillip Island’s demanding conditions, tyre management will be a key focus during the race weekend. Both Race 1 and Race 2 will follow a flag-to-flag format, with a maximum rear tyre limit of 11 laps as mandated by the FIM and DWO. The team used the test to simulate flag-to-flag scenarios, ensuring they were well-prepared for the challenges ahead.

Xavi Vierge expressed optimism after the test: “It’s been a very productive test, and we did a great job, especially after day one. We found something with the bike setup that gave me good feeling and improved my race pace. We focused a lot on electronics to manage tyre life and practiced flag-to-flag situations, which will be key this weekend. It’s a pity the rain affected the final session, but overall, we’re ready for the race weekend. I can’t wait!”

Iker Lecuona, still building strength after his injury, remained pragmatic: “This is basically the first time in four months I’ve been able to ride the bike, and I’m not yet 100%—maybe around 60%. I’ve lost muscle mass in my left shoulder, which makes riding more difficult, especially in direction changes. It’s frustrating because I can’t ride in my usual style, but my team has been incredibly supportive. We tried some new setup ideas that could help during the weekend, so let’s see how it goes.”

Looking Ahead to Race Weekend

The 2025 WorldSBK season kicks off on Friday with free practice sessions, followed by Superpole qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday. The action continues on Sunday with the Superpole sprint race and Race 2.

Team HRC heads into the season opener with confidence, having made significant progress during the pre-season tests. With Vierge in strong form and Lecuona determined to overcome his physical challenges, the team is ready to fight for top positions at Phillip Island.

Stay tuned as the lights go out on the 2025 Superbike World Championship this weekend!