The Team HRꦆC rider has endured a nightmare 2023 season thus far, with last Sunday’s tenth place finish in Race 2 the only top ten in any of his last seve🐈n starts. 

Xavi Vierge has also struggled at times due to Honda’s lack of c🌟ompetitiveness, 🐟but for Lecuona, what was expected to be a big second-year jump has instead failed to materialise.

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In fact, Honda have b🔥een less competitive through the opening seven rounds of this season compared to the same stage in 2022. 

After securing his best result since Race 1 at Misano, Lecuona said: “In the end I’m happy with how we’ve ended the weekend, because after struggling a lot in the beginning and qualifying a way back on the grid, step-by-step we’ve been able to turn t🍸he weekendꦅ around. 

“For this, I want to say a big thank you to🍰 my team because they always had faith in me, just as I had faith that we’d be able t෴o make a step forward with the bike. 

“A💯lready in today’s Superpole Race, I felt better lap after lap and realised I had quicker pace and could at least make up 🔜some positions.

🍷“In Race 2, the first laps were tough; it was not easy to overtake the rid♌ers ahead but once I was able to do that and move close to the group of riders fighting for tenth place, I managed to pass them too. 

“On the last lap Remy tried to pass me back, but I was feeling very strong and could💎 defend my position. 

“Starting so far ൩back meant it was impossible to do more but I’m happy to have finished in the top ten.&n🔯bsp;

“I’m happy to finally have one week to rest after seven consecutive weekends of racing and testing. So, I’ll exploit these fe꧑w days as a little ‘holiday’.”

For teammate Vierge, Last Sunday proꦚved to be a difficult day after finishing 19th in the Superpole Race and 14th in Raceꦉ 2.

Vierge added: “It was another challenging day for us. I made a very good start in the Superpole race and was targeting the top nine but, lap by lap, I started to lose grip and on lap six I was forced to go st♑raigꦯht to avoid hitting Remy, losing a lot of positions and every possibility at the same time. 

“In Race 2, I again made a good sta🍌rt and was up behind Petrucci but I aga🐟in began to struggle with a lot of spin. 

“I did my be💙st to hold my position, making the most of good feeling with the front but, like yesterday, once the front tyre dropped, I struggled so much that I couldn’t defend tenth place. 

“On the last lap I came into contact with Aegerter and lost two ꦇmore positions. Let’s say that the first part of the race I could manage, while in the second half I was too slow. 

“Now we need to work with the team to understand why we suffered so much, especially in the second sector of the track, an☂d then just keep working to prepare as best as possible for the 💞next round.”