A number of rookies are making their MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut in 2022, with two rookies arriving at Team HRC: Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona. The Spanish duo will compete on the CBR1000RR-R machine for 2022 after competing in Moto2™ and MotoGP™ respectively and Vierge sat down at the recent Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto test to discuss his move to Honda, teammate Lecuona and more.

WHEN HONDA CAME CALLING…

24-year-old Vierge spent seven seasons competing in Moto2™ from 2015 to 2021, claiming three pole positions and four podiums. In October 2021, it was announced that the Barcelona-born rider would make the switch to Team HRC and WorldSBK for 2022, looking to take Honda back to winning ways in the Championship.

Discussing his move to Honda, Vierge said: “The negotiations really… there was not so much! When my manager called me and said ‘hey, we have this on the table’, I was practically like ‘yes, yes!’. The Honda factory team is a dream for me, so when we had this on the table, we started to speak. They started to explain to me the team, the members inside of the team and it’s a dream team! I, of course, wanted to join them. It’s really, really special. Honda is Honda and I think it’s a dream for every rider. At least for me, it’s a dream. I am living my dream every time I go out on track and I see the colours and everything, it’s really special.”

THE SHORT TIME WORKING WITH LECUONA AT HONDA

Vierge and Lecuona will lead an all-Spanish line-up at Team HRC for 2022, with the pair already taking to the track together on the CBR10000RR-R machine. They both took part in a test in December at Jerez for their first experience of the bike before returning to the same venue in January to continue preparing for the upcoming campaign.

Outlining his relationship with Lecuona and how they have been working together, Vierge said: “I’ve known Iker for many years. I have a good relationship with him. I think this is positive because the first rival is your teammate. So, this is new for both of us. We are young. He has a bit more experience than me on big bikes, let’s say. I think we will push each other and that will help us to grow as a team and as riders. Already, in the first days of testing, we know every time we are looking at each other and pushing to the limit. I think it’s really positive. The ambience inside the team is really, really good and I think it will be a really good year.”

VIERGE’S AMBITIONS AFTER JOINING HONDA…

In the interview at Jerez, Vierge was able to outline both his short and long-term goals for his time at Team HRC in WorldSBK. Honda claimed two podiums in the 2021 season, all from Alvaro Bautista who departed for Ducati at the end of the season, while they claimed a single podium in 2020 on their return to WorldSBK.

Explaining his ambitions for 2022 and beyond, Vierge said: “For Honda, the team and myself, the goal is to win. I think it’s not correct to start thinking about that just now. I think the correct way, and the way we are thinking, is trying to forget a bit these goals. We focus on each test day, try all the things they have, try to adapt to everything. Take all the information in and then, in the last test at Aragon before the start of the season, we will sit, we will speak about the off-season and put a realistic target on the season. For the future, my goal I will say is more or less the same. I think we need to like the present. Now my present is here with Honda, in the factory team and it’s a dream. I want to enjoy that. I want to work as hard as I can and achieve the best results we can. We all know what our goals are, and we will try to fight every day to achieve that.”

Read more from Vierge’s interview from Jerez in part two!

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