Ahead of the ninth round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Honda HRC announced that one half of their marquee pair won’t be fit to compete in France. After getting tangled up in the chaotic seven-rider pileup at the outset of Balaton Park Circuit’s Race 1, Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) was diagnosed with fractures in his left forearm. The injury caused him to miss the rest of the weekend and the Suzuka 8 Hours. Since then, Lecuona has been working not only on his recovery but also on his 2026 future, as it was announced that Lecuona will be departing the Japanese factory team in favour of the Ducati factory team to race alongside Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) next season.

Filling the shoes of the 26-year-old, Sergio Garcia immediately travelled from the Hungarian Grand Prix where he raced in Moto2 to test at Aragon, and he will compete for the Japanese manufacturer in WorldSBK. At 22 years old, Garcia brings nine years of experience from Moto2 and Moto3. Most recently, the #3 joined Moto2 in 2023, where a breakout 2024 campaign netted him a pair of wins, five podiums and a pole position, culminating in a fourth-place finish. He was also the runner-up in Moto3 in 2022.

Tune in to see the thrilling final third of the 2025 WorldSBK season! Watch live or on-demand with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 50% off!