Since returning to World Superbike form in 2020, Honda has struggled to achieve its goals in the production-based championship. Last winter, the CBR1000RR Fireblade received an update that was supposed to finally put Iker Lecuona and teammate Xavi Vierge at the top. However, the desired upward trend has not yet materialized.
Worse, Honda fell even further behind other manufacturers this year. We asked official rider Xavi Vierge and team manager José Escamez what the problems are plaguing HRC’s Superbike project and what their expectations are for the end of the current season.
“So far things haven’t gone as we hoped,” commented HRC Team Manager José Escamez, who took over from Leon Camier last winter. “I firmly believe that we can turn the situation around and get where we want,” declared the new HRC team manager with confidence in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com.
Xavi Vierge, Honda rider, is currently the best placed Honda rider in P14 in the World Championship. Teammate Iker Lecuona, who missed several races due to injury, is currently only P21 in the drivers’ standings. Honda is at the bottom of the manufacturers’ table.
Honda is no closer: great hopes are followed by disillusionment
Thanks to the new homologation model presented in autumn 2023, Vierge had high hopes before the start of the season. After two contrasting years, the Spaniard finally wanted to reap the rewards.
“We knew we would have a new bike for this season. I was enthusiastic and hoped that we would take the necessary step to always be at the front. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as we had imagined from the beginning,” she notes.
“We struggled a lot more than we would have liked. But it’s just the beginning with a completely new bike,” Vierge said, explaining the problems. “We still have a lot of work to do to reverse the trend, so we can be competitive as soon as possible.”
Xavi Vierge, Team HRC
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
What are the main weaknesses that hold back Honda riders
The lack of top speed is not a problem for the 2024 Honda. However, the new Fireblade’s poor traction is a big problem for the engineers. “We have a powerful engine, but we always have problems using it,” confirms Vierge.
Did Honda want too much in the development of the engine, favoring maximum power over driveability? “We are fast on the straights, especially when traveling at higher revs. However, we have difficulty exploiting the power at low rpm. Traction puts us in difficulty,” reveals Vierge.
“We managed to improve braking stability, but traction creates even more difficulties for us than last year. This makes it difficult for us to progress at the moment,” says Vierge, identifying the main weakness of the new Honda. “As soon as I step on the gas, the rear wheel turns. And obviously no matter what we do to the bike, the situation doesn’t change.”
It’s surprising that Honda can’t fix the problems despite its vast racing experience. “We are working on all areas of the bike, on the electronics, on the chassis, on the set-up. We also tried a few things in terms of driving style. But so far we haven’t found any benefits. No matter what we do, the problem remains,” Vierge reports in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com.
Xavi Vierge, Team HRC
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Did Honda go the wrong way with the 2024 Fireblade?
The Honda Fireblade used from 2020 to 2023 already had recognizable weaknesses. The hope was that these problems would be eliminated with the 2024 update. But this has not yet been the case. Has Honda taken a step backwards with the new bike?
“I think the bike has potential. But so far we have not been able to exploit it properly”, observes Vierge and reflects: “I don’t know if we have worsened compared to last year. What is clear is that the others have improved. So, even if we have not worsened, we have fallen behind compared to the other”.
Vierge therefore indirectly blames the top level of the Superbike World Championship for the disappointing results. The absence due to injury of teammate Iker Lecuona did not help the development of the new Fireblade. Lecuona missed the Phillip Island and Assen races.
According to Vierge, when Lecuona gets on the bike he makes similar comments about the bike. “It’s positive on one side, but not on the other. We have the same problems, even though we have different driving styles. Iker and I are also very different physically. There are 10 kilograms of difference between us. But our problems are very similar,” explains Vierge.
Xavi Vierge, Team HRC
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
No loss of motivation in the team: praise for José Escamez
Lack of success naturally impacts team morale. But according to Vierge, the team members are still very motivated and want to turn the situation around together.
“Everyone is working hard to turn the situation around. That’s good, because you don’t feel like you’re the only rider struggling hard. On the contrary, I feel the support of all members of the team. Everyone gives their all,” explains Vierge.
In the winter there was a change of personnel at the helm of the team. Jose Escamez took over from Leon Camier, who moved to Marc-VDS-Ducati. “I got along well with Leon. He did a good job. But he decided to face a new challenge. But I also get along very well with Jose. He works very hard. All team members are united,” commented Vierge.
Successes in other competitions demonstrate Honda’s potential
With the introduction of the Triple-R in the 2020 season, Honda introduced the most radical version of the Fireblade to date. While successes in WSBK are still a long way off, the RR-R has impressed in other racing series. Honda won several races at the Isle of Man TT, became world champion in the World Endurance Championship and also celebrated several successes in national superbike championships such as the BSB and the IDM.
Xavi Vierge, Team HRC
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“Many people have criticized the bike for four years. But you have to realize that these problems only exist in the Superbike World Championship”, observes Jose Escamez, HRC manager, “The bike has already demonstrated its potential in other championships and in the World Endurance Championship. But the rules of this championship are partly responsible for the fact that we haven’t found the right path here yet,” explains Jose Escamez, who doesn’t see the Pirelli WSBK tires as the cause.
“Pirelli has proven that it produces good tyres. In other championships where Pirelli tires were used, we were able to achieve good results. I don’t think the Pirelli tires are responsible for the problems. If so, we should solve these problems. It’s like this for everyone”, underlined the Honda team manager.
What can Honda still achieve in the 2024 Superbike season?
A look at the constructors’ championship is currently a source of great disillusionment. Honda (26) remained far behind Ducati (162 points), BMW (126), Kawasaki (94) and Yamaha (92). The best result achieved so far this season is tenth place.
Is the podium out of reach this season? “No, absolutely no. If we managed it in the past, why shouldn’t it be possible now?”, says team manager Jose Escamez confidently.
“A realistic goal is to consistently finish in the top 10 under normal circumstances. Obviously we are aiming for something more than the top 10, but it would be a first objective. Another point is the gap to the winner. We would like to be closer and finish the races less than ten seconds behind the winner”, says the HRC team manager about the next step.
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