Points for Vierge in a challenging Race 1 for Team HRC at Most

Team HRC rider Xavi Vierge places fourteenth in Race 1 in the first WorldSBK race at Autodrom Most; a technical problem prevents Iker Lecuona from crossing the line.

Race day had started positively enough for Lecuona and Vierge who were both able to make a significant dent in their lap times during FP3 as they made final preparations for the subsequent qualifying. The duo continued to improve on their references in the Superpole, with both taking almost another full second off their previous best times. This meant that Iker’s fastest lap, completed in 1’31.390, saw him qualify thirteenth for the first race, closely followed by team-mate Vierge, fourteenth with a 1’31.465.

The pair lined up together on the fifth row of the grid for the afternoon’s 22-lap Superbike race, which started at 2pm CET. Through lap one, Xavi found himself thirteenth, with Iker chasing just behind in fifteenth. As part of a group of five riders, the Team HRC duo did their best to establish a rhythm that would allow them to close the gap to those immediately ahead, who were fighting for the top ten.

Unfortunately, on lap eight, a technical problem for Lecuona caused him to drop back, with the Spaniard pitting on the very next lap and unable to complete the race. At almost the same moment Vierge was given a long lap penalty for cutting the track at turn 1 which caused him to lose two positions and a few seconds, a pity considering that he had been showing good pace and had been gradually closing in on Rinaldi ahead. Xavi continued to fight, moving back into thirteenth, but was unable to fend off a final attack from Aegerter and closed in fourteenth place today.

Team HRC will return to the track tomorrow for the 10-lap Superpole race followed, in the afternoon, by the second 22-lap Superbike race.