Honda HRC aims for a strong weekend at Cremona, host of WorldSBK Round 4
The Honda HRC team travels to Italy, and the Cremona Circuit, for WorldSBK round 4
Spurred on by their recent results in the 2025 Superbike World Championship, the Honda HRC team and riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona are highly motivated heading into round 4, to be staged this weekend at the Cremona Circuit in Northern Italy.
Just over two weeks ago, round 3 played out in mixed conditions at the TT Circuit Assen, in The Netherlands. Although a wet Superpole race posed a challenge, a dry Race 1 brought the Honda HRC team its best combined result of the season so far, as Lecuona and Vierge crossed the line fifth and sixth respectively, within just two tenths of a second of each other. The team travelled home pleased with the progress made over the course of the race weekend.
As for the upcoming round, the World SBK field competed at Cremona for the first time last year. It proved to be a positive weekend for the Honda HRC team, placing fourth, fifth and sixth in the weekend’s races with Lecuona, and sixth and eighth in the long races with Vierge. A track that allowed the factory riders to exploit the strengths of the CBR1000RR-R in 2024, the team will be looking to further close the gap to the frontrunners this time around.
Located in the Lombardy region of Italy, the Cremona Circuit was inaugurated in 2011. Ahead of its inaugural WorldSBK event in 2024, a series of modifications were made, both to the track itself and to facilities in the paddock, in order to bring it to the standard required to host an international race event. The shortest track on the current calendar, the track measures 3.768 km in length and incorporates six right-hand turns and seven left-handers.
Weekend schedule (CET):
Friday
10.20 – 11.05 – SBK Free Practice 1
15.00 – 15.45 – SBK Free Practice 2
Saturday
9.00 – 9.20 – SBK Free Practice 3
11.00 – 11.15 – Superpole
14.00 – SBK Race 1
Sunday
9.00 – 9.10 – SBK Warm-up
11.00 – Superpole race
14.00 – SBK Race 2
Xavi Vierge 97
“Cremona is definitely a unique circuit – it almost feels like a karting track in some sections – but it’s also a place where we were able to be competitive last year. I think the layout allows us to make the most of our strong points. After showing some good speed at Assen, I’m eager to get to work and try to be more consistent throughout the entire weekend. One of our goals is to close the gap to the front from the very start and keep building from there, with a focus on trying to be more competitive in qualifying to reduce the chance of mistakes in the races when we have to recover a lot, and to be able to fight close to the top five as our race pace lately has allowed us to do.”
Iker Lecuona 7
“I’m quite pleased with how things have gone over the last couple of rounds, and we’ve continued learning a lot about the bike and the suspension setup. Now we move on to Cremona, a track that brings back good memories. I didn’t like it much during the first test we had there last year, but during the race weekend, I began to really appreciate it because I was fast, and the results were strong. I’ll approach this round the same way I did in Assen – staying calm, not setting any expectations or putting pressure on myself. I’ve changed my mentality a lot this year. Even if we’re not in a strong position on Friday, I know we can make steps forward over the weekend. The goal is to keep working, improving step by step, and see what we can achieve come race day.”
Location Information
*Cremona Circuit: Strada Giuseppina 2, San Martino del Lago – 26040 (Cremona) Italy Tel: +39 0375 350359 E-mail: info@cremonacircuit.it Website: cremonacircuit.it ———————————————————– *Courtesy of DWO
| POLE POSITION | RIGHT |
| LENGTH | 3.768 Km |
| CORNERS | 13 |
| RIGHT CORNERS | 6 |
| LEFT CORNERS | 7 |
Records
| Pole Record | 1'27.953 (154,228 Km/h) D.Bulega (Ducati Panigale V4R, 2024) |
| Race Record | 1'28.289 (153,641 Km/h) D. Petrucci (Ducati Panigale V4R, SPR, 2024) |
| All Time Record | 1'27.953 (154,228 Km/h) D.Bulega (Ducati Panigale V4R, 2024) |
| 2024 Race 1 Winner | D. Petrucci (Ducati Panigale V4R) |
| 2024 Superpole Race Winner | D. Petrucci (Ducati Panigale V4R) |
| 2024 Race 2 Winner | D. Petrucci (Ducati Panigale V4R) |
