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This first day of practice at Phillip Island produced several surprises, one of which must be the third place occupied by Iker Lecuona in the combined standings. After struggling a lot during the winter tests, the young Spaniard managed to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat, bringing his Honda to within half a second of the Ducati of World Champion, Alvaro Bautista, despite a harmless crash in the morning. But what has changed in just three days?
“On Tuesday I said that we had made a good step forward in the race simulation and had more pace, but we were missing the fastest lap. In the last two days the team has worked hard with the data to understand why and what we needed to change on the bike to improve. At the start of FP1 I felt the bike was different, it started to work quite well, and I felt very comfortable. I had a small crash at the end of the session because I had to adjust the base a bit, but I don't care that it happened. It was a good thing that it happened at that moment because it allowed us to understand why I crashed” explained Lecuona, who managed to put all the pieces of the puzzle together in the afternoon.
“We made some slight changes to try to solve the problem for FP2. There I felt good. The bike was ready, and I rode in a natural and relaxed way - he commented - It's one of the first times I've been able to understand the bike and it was nice. Compared to last year, we can be more consistent in terms of race pace, so I would say that we have improved".
In fact, in addition to pace, the Iberian also seems to have found the right speed to do a good qualifying session, although he had to adapt to the temperatures offered by the Australian summer.
“Today I would say yes, but we must see because it was very hot - Iker pointed out - It was the first time I had ridden on this track with these temperatures. It was all new to me even with the Pirellis, so I had to manage the gas and electronics during the long runs, but I think it was a good day. The forecast for tomorrow is variable and I don't know if it will rain or not. It could be cooler tomorrow and Sunday and change the situation a bit. We'll see, but at the moment we have good speed."
Lecuona smiles as he seems to be experiencing his best moment astride the Fireblade: “Yes, I think so - admitted the 23-year-old - It's true that last year, in many races, I had a fantastic feeling and I made great saves with the elbow and the front. I often touched the ground with the fairing and pulled it up, but now, looking at the package in general, it's one of the best moments for me at Honda".
The changes and new parts introduced in the winter tests by the Japanese manufacturer, which continued incessantly to develop the Fireblade, have also favoured the growth of the CBR1000RR-R.
“With these super-concessions we can make various changes to the bike, such as bringing the pivot closer or closing the front. This has certainly helped us to take a step forward and improve on the race distance, which was one of our goals because last year we missed a podium in Barcelona precisely because of tyre management - said the Spaniard - The bike has changed and it has helped me. At the end of the tests, I struggled in the flying lap, but now we have solved it. We'll see tomorrow".
Despite some uncertainties, Iker seems to have what it takes to be among the protagonists of the first race weekend of the year and to aim for an excellent result there might be no better combination than being in your best condition on one of your favourite tracks: “ I love this track and it's been a long time since I've been here - commented the Honda rider - I wasn't able to race there in MotoGP due to Covid, while last year I missed it due to my injury at Mandalika. I'm very happy to be here and I'm enjoying myself."
