A strong showing for Lecuona, sixth in Race 2 at Misano, while a gritty Vierge secures two top ten finishes

“I’m really happy, honestly. During morning warm-up we made some changes to the setup to help me feel more comfortable. Yesterday, we spent a lot of time talking in the box and realised we were missing something to be able to fight at the front, so we worked to find a solution. I just had a small issue in the Superpole Race with one aspect of the electronics setup, and I was also one of few riders to not use the qualifying rear tyre. That made the start really tough, but even so, I stayed with the group and wasn’t far off. That showed us that if we were able to improve that area of the electronics, we could definitely be in the fight in Race 2 – and we did it! My start was really good – I reacted super well and thought, ‘Wow, that was amazing!’ Once the race got going, I stayed calm, spent a few laps behind some riders, and then started closing the gap and making passes. Over the final five laps I felt really strong. I was with Lowes and Petrucci, and managed to pass Sam at Turn 14 on the penultimate lap. On the last lap I focused on defending my position from Sam and tried to overtake Danilo as well. I got really close, and with one more lap I think I could have made the move, but there just wasn’t enough time. In the end, I’m just really happy. A big thank you to the whole team for their support and for the great work on the electronics today. We’re back in the fight, and I’m really enjoying myself – and that’s the most important thing. Next week I’ll take part in the official test for the Suzuka 8 Hours. I’m really looking forward to it, so thanks to Honda for the opportunity.”

“We need to be happy with the weekend overall, but especially with Sunday, where I feel we took a step forward. The team worked really hard, and we made a small step already in warm-up. Then, from warm-up to the Superpole Race, we adjusted a few more things, including the tyre choice, which I think was the right one for me. I had a really strong Superpole Race – over ten laps I was able to give everything. It’s a pity because midway through the race I was in a good position, but due to a mistake by another rider, I made contact and lost several positions. I tried to recover, but it wasn’t quite enough to get into the top nine. In the final laps I caught up to Iker, but since he’s my teammate and we were only fighting for one point, I couldn’t push too hard, especially considering my physical condition, where I still can’t fully control my body. Anyway, overall still a good race. In Race 2, we knew it would be tough. I made another strong start and was in a good position, but after six laps my body was completely done, and from that point I was just trying to survive. I battled as part of a big group, and in the end, I was able to bring it home in ninth place. I’m really happy with that because the original plan was to skip this race, and in the end we scored quite a few points. So, I’m very thankful to everyone who helped me to be here this weekend, and of course to the team for all their hard work to give me the best possible bike. Now I’ll focus on recovering over the next weeks to try and be as fit as possible for Donington.”