Mixed fortunes for TeamHRC as the 2024 season officially kicks off in Australia
Team HRC have officially started their 2024 WorldSBK championship campaign, taking part in the first two practice sessions making up round one of the series at the Phillip Island Circuit in Australia.
Unfortunately, Iker Lecuona, who sustained a left shoulder injury during Tuesday’s test session (an acromioclavicular joint injury), struggled with significant pain when attempting to ride in today’s sessions. Regrettably, he will not be able to participate in the weekend races. On the other side of the garage, Xavi Vierge steadily improved on his lap times throughout the day, closing in fourteenth place, only a little over seven tenths from the top.
The morning’s first practice was characterised by rain, with the entire field of SBK riders electing to remain in the garage and await more favourable conditions. Things improved later on in the 45-minute session, with most riders taking to the track for the final ten minutes, Vierge and Lecuona included. With only time to complete about five laps each, the two Spaniards simply used the time to assess the conditions and the bike set-up and, in Iker’s case, his physical condition. Vierge placed sixteenth at the session’s end, with a 1’31.004, and Lecuona twentieth (1’31.682).
Iker returned to the track alongside team-mate Xavi for the afternoon’s second practice, which got underway on a damp track. Choosing to ride only in the latter half of the session, Vierge made a series of fast laps to set a best of 1’29.815 and finish fourteenth. Battling through the pain, Lecuona completed only ten laps, clocking a fastest time of 1’31.315 to place twentieth. Acting on the advice of his team and doctors, Iker will not continue riding this weekend, instead focusing on rest and recovery ahead of Round 2 in Catalunya.
Xavi will be back on track tomorrow for the Superpole and the first of two 20-lap SBK races. Based on information collated during the tests, it has been decided that the weekend’s long races will take place under flag-to-flag rules, with riders obliged to pit and change their tyres mid-race.
Xavi Vierge 97
“We have finally started the season, despite not having the best luck with the weather and track time, especially this morning. We had a productive day of testing on Tuesday though, and gathered a lot of data that allowed us to make a clear plan for the race weekend. This afternoon, we made a change to the bike setup in an attempt to improve the turning, and I'm pleased to say that we achieved that, as well as finding slightly better drive out of the corners. Overall, the feeling with the bike has improved, which is a sign we've made a little step. We're not too far off in terms of fast lap times, around seven tenths, and perhaps in a slightly better position with regard to race pace. So, it's been a positive start to the weekend, and we'll have to see tomorrow what the weather brings and how we will deal with the altered race format.”
Iker Lecuona 7
“I tried to ride this morning, but the wet track conditions meant I was only able to complete four laps, and was already experiencing pain in my left shoulder. I was determined to try again in the afternoon anyway, because I was not ready to give up on the race. But I was still in considerable pain during the second session, which forced me to lap at a very slow pace. The gap in seconds between me and the top riders was too big as a result, also because I was riding cautiously, constantly mindful that even a minor crash could exacerbate the problem with my shoulder. This meant I struggled to maintain my focus, as I was acutely aware of my physical limitations and reduced performance. When I tried to push harder with a new set of tyres, even just a little with the braking or changing of direction, I found myself unable to do so because of intense pain in my shoulder. After running wide through turn 4, I realized it would be unsafe to continue riding for the remainder of the weekend. I’m sorry for my team and everyone involved, but it’s definitely wiser for me to stop and return fully fit for the next round in Barcelona.”
Free Practices Combined Results
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Team | Constructor | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lowes Alex | 22 | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | Kawasaki | 1'29.042 |
| 2 | Bulega Nicolò | 11 | ITA | ARUBA Racing - Ducati | Ducati | 1'29.101 0.059 |
| 3 | Locatelli Andrea | 55 | ITA | PATA PROMETEON YAMAHA | Yamaha | 1'29.197 0.155 |
| 4 | Petrucci Danilo | 9 | ITA | BARNI Spark Racing Team | Ducati | 1'29.237 0.195 |
| 5 | van der Mark Michael | 60 | NDL | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | BMW | 1'29.264 0.222 |
| 6 | Lowes Sam | 14 | GBR | ELF Marc VDS Racing Team | Ducati | 1'29.292 0.250 |
| 7 | Iannone Andrea | 29 | ITA | Team GOELEVEN | Ducati | 1'29.323 0.281 |
| 8 | Rinaldi Michael Ruben | 21 | ITA | Motocorsa Racing | Ducati | 1'29.343 0.301 |
| 9 | Gardner Remy | 87 | AUS | GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | Yamaha | 1'29.349 0.307 |
| 10 | Razgatlioglu Toprak | 54 | TUR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | BMW | 1'29.407 0.365 |
| 11 | Öttl Philipp | 5 | GER | GMT94 Yamaha | Yamaha | 1'29.514 0.472 |
| 12 | Bautista Alvaro | 1 | SPA | ARUBA Racing - Ducati | Ducati | 1'29.572 0.530 |
| 13 | Aegerter Dominique | 77 | SWI | GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | Yamaha | 1'29.623 0.581 |
| 14 | Vierge Xavi | 97 | SPA | Team HRC | Honda | 1'29.815 0.773 |
| 15 | Bassani Axel | 47 | ITA | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | Kawasaki | 1'30.085 1.043 |
| 16 | Rea Jonathan | 65 | GBR | PATA PROMETEON YAMAHA | Yamaha | 1'30.097 1.055 |
| 17 | Ray Bradley | 28 | GBR | Yamaha MotoxRacing WorldSBK Team | Yamaha | 1'30.753 1.711 |
| 18 | Redding Scott | 45 | GBR | Bonovo Action BMW | BMW | 1'30.896 1.854 |
| 19 | Gerloff Garrett | 31 | USA | Bonovo Action BMW | BMW | 1'31.231 2.189 |
| 20 | Lecuona Iker | 7 | SPA | Team HRC | Honda | 1'31.315 2.273 |
| 21 | Rabat Tito | 53 | SPA | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing | Kawasaki | 1'31.341 2.299 |
| 22 | Mackenzie Tarran | 95 | GBR | PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team | Honda | 1'31.863 2.821 |
| 23 | Norrodin Adam | 27 | MAL | PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team | Honda | 1'32.649 3.607 |
Location Information
The beautiful Phillip Island circuit on the Bass Straight, off the coast of Victoria in Australia, is one of the most iconic and exciting venues in world motorsport. WorldSBK™ first raced at Phillip Island in 1990, just after the first MotoGP™ visit in 1989. Phillip Island Circuit Back Beach Road,… read more.
| POLE POSITION | LEFT |
| LENGTH | 4.445 Km |
| CORNERS | 12 |
| RIGHT CORNERS | 5 |
| LEFT CORNERS | 7 |
Records
| Pole Record | 1'27.916 (180,370 Km/h) N. Bulega (Ducati Panigale V4R, 2024) |
| Race Record | 1'28.564 (180,683 Km/h) N. Bulega RC1 (Ducati Panigale V4R, 2024) |
| All Time Record | 1'27.916 (180,370 Km/h) N. Bulega (Ducati Panigale V4R, 2024) |
| 2024 Race 1 Winner | N. Bulega (Ducati Panigale V4R) |
| 2024 Superpole Race Winner | A. Lowes (Kawasaki ZX-10RR) |
| 2024 Race 2 Winner | A. Lowes (Kawasaki ZX-10RR) |
