Honda returned to World Superbike racing in 2020 with great aspirations. With a new Fireblade, the Japanese team set out to win races in the first year and take the title in the second. But after two and a half years, Honda is still waiting for its first win. It is true that they have managed to get on the podium on a few occasions, but mostly to the detriment of their opponents. In 2022, Honda races with two rookies in production derivatives: Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge.
In the previous two seasons, both Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam have struggled with the Honda Fireblade. The Spaniard moved to Honda as runner-up in the world, and in his first year with the home of the golden winger he had to settle for ninth place in the overall standings.
In his second year with Honda, the Talavera de la Reina native didn’t improve much and finished 10th overall. For 2022, Bautista has decided to return to Ducati, with which he has again won races and which allows him to lead the championship with a 31-point lead.
Iker Lecuona, Team HRC
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Honda strategy: high risk with little benefit
We asked Bautista what he thinks of HRC’s strategy to compete in 2022 with two rookies in the world championship and also to change supplier of brakes (from Brembo to Nissin) and suspension (from Öhlins to Showa). Are there more risks than benefits?
“Yes, absolutely. The risk is much higher. If you change the brakes and suspensions in such a young project, in which you are fully involved in the development of the bike, you run a great risk because everything is new,” he explained. Bautista in an exclusive interview with Motorsport-Total.com, the sister site of Motorsport.com.
Does the Showa suspension provide any benefits?
“If things don’t go well, you don’t know if it’s the bike, the brakes or the suspension,” says Bautista. “I’ve never tried Honda with Showa suspension, but I’ve talked to the riders about it. I think it makes the bike a little less aggressive. It’s a good solution to the problems I had. For my taste, the bike was too stiff. “, recalled the former Honda rider.
Bautista admits that even before the start of the 2021 season, Honda was considering switching from Brembo to Nissin. “I remember that we tried several brakes at the beginning of the season, but in the end we stayed with the Brembo team,” said Bautista.
“At the time, I didn’t notice a big difference. It was a decision we would carry out all season, and it wasn’t clear how the brakes reacted to the heat. The performance wasn’t very different from the test, but at least with Brembo we knew what it was. expect us, “described a surprised Bautista, who also admitted that he could not find an explanation for this year’s change.
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