That’s exciting news about round six of the 2023 Superbike World Championship at Donington Park in the UK. Team HRC, along with riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, is gearing up for the race after being occupied with different activities following the Misano round.
Japan
Xavi Vierge travelled to Japan to participate in a Suzuka 8 Hours test, while Iker Lecuona took part in the recent Assen MotoGP round, substituting for the injured Joan Mir.
Donington Park
During last year’s edition at Donington Park, both riders faced challenges. Lecuona struggled with the arm pump, and Vierge returned after a crash in the previous round. However, they are both fully fit this time and confident they will perform better than their last outing at Donington.
In the recent Misano round, which concluded just over three weeks ago, the Team HRC factory pair achieved solid results. Vierge secured a top-five finish in race 2, while Lecuona finished eighth in race 1. Unfortunately, Lecuona couldn’t start race 2 due to an accident in the Superpole race.
WSBK
Donington Park has a rich history in the WorldSBK series, hosting the very first race in 1988 and remaining a regular fixture on the calendar since then. As the oldest British track still in operation, MSV acquired it in 2017 and has undergone continuous development. The circuit measures 4.023 km in length, featuring a mix of seven right-hand turns and five left-handers. In 2023, it has received a complete resurfacing, marking the first time in over 20 years.
Weekend schedule (CET -1):
Friday
10.30 – 11.15 – SBK Free Practice 1
15.00 – 15.45 – SBK Free Practice 2
Saturday
9.00 – 9.30 – SBK Free Practice 3
11.10 – 11.25 – Superpole
14.00 – SBK Race 1
Sunday
10.00 – 10.15 – SBK Warm-up
13.00 – Superpole race
16.00 – SBK Race 2
Xavi Vierge 97
“We return to racing after a small break between races, but this didn’t keep me away from riding as after Misano, I attended a test in Suzuka that went well, and then I trained at home, as usual, to remain fully fit. I’m looking forward to the coming weekend because last year I raced at Donington for the first time, but although I loved the track on sight, I couldn’t enjoy it because I was returning from injury, so I struggled. I’ve heard that the asphalt is new, so I look forward to working with my team again and keeping up with the good work we’ve been doing.”
Iker Lecuona 7
“I remember from last year that I like the Donington track even though it’s challenging, especially for us. We will see how it goes this year, considering the track has recently resurfaced. It’s been quite a busy time since the Misano round, as first, I focused on my rehab, and then, having recovered fast, I competed in my second MotoGP race of the season. Again, I want to thank Honda and everyone on the team because it was an amazing weekend that motivated me to keep pushing to improve and achieve our targets.”
