HRC best ever WSBK season opener at Aragon.
Either HRC?s (Honda Racing Corporation) new Fireblade is better than it?s ever been, or they?ve got some really special riders in the shape of Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge. Or both. Because never have Team HRC started a WSBK season so well. And that?s with a pair of riders who are not only new to Team HRC, but are new to WSBK, new to the Fireblade, and new to ?production bike? racing in general. And they?re lying fifth and sixth in the WSBK World Championship standings.
The last time Honda had any real success in WSBK was (arguably) back in 2016 when Michael van der Mark and the late, great Nicky Hayden were both Fireblade mounted. That year, Van der mark started the season with a couple of impressive podiums and he and Hayden ended the season fourth and fifth respectively. They might have been on Hondas, but they weren?t racing for Team HRC; the only Hondas on the grid at that time were fielded by Ten Kate Racing.
No, Honda Racing Corporation have only run their own official racing team in WSBK since 2019, and it?s fair to say they?ve struggled. The best result they?ve had was a couple of years ago in 2020 when Alvaro Bautista managed to get himself into ninth position by the end of the championship. That was after coming second to Jonathan Rea in 2019, on a Ducati. Bautista?s back on a Ducati now, and back at the top of the championship standings.
Newbies
So when HRC announced they were putting a couple of WSBK rookies on their Fireblades for 2022, the...
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2024 Honda NX500, CBR500R, CB500F UpdatesÂ
02-05-2024 08:22 - (
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