Lecuona and Vierge seeking satisfaction at Catalunya home round
Having competed at the Magny-Cours circuit in France just over a week ago, Team HRC now finds itself in Montmeló, Spain, where round eight of the 2022 Superbike World Championship will play out at the Circuit de Barcelona- Catalunya this coming weekend.
The latest French round failed to bring the desired results for riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, who gave it their all in the face of inclement weather, crashes, and grip issues. As for the Barcelona circuit though, Team HRC took part in test sessions at this track in both March and August, with both riders fairing very well on those occasions. Added to this, the factory team scored a podium in the Superpole race at last year’s Catalunya round. Confidence levels are therefore high as the squad heads into this eighth championship round. A home round for the team and riders alike, everyone wants to be able to put in a strong performance in front of the local fans.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was inaugurated in 1991 but only featured on the WorldSBK calendar for the first time in 2020, while it has long been a regular stage for both F1 and MotoGP racing. The flowing track, which was resurfaced in 2018, measures 4657 metres in length and incorporates eight right-hand turns and six left-hand turns. The Montmeló facility enjoys a privileged position, located just a few kilometres from Barcelona city centre.
SBK Weekend schedule (CEST):
Friday
10.30 – 11.15 – Free Practice 1
15.00 – 15.45 – Free Practice 2
Saturday
9.00 – 9.30 – Free Practice 3
11.10 – 11.25 – Superpole
14.00 – Race 1
Sunday
9.00 – 9.15 – Warm-up
11.00 – Superpole race
14.00 – Race 2
Iker Lecuona 7
“I expect a lot of the Barcelona round to be honest, because I remember that I was very fast here during the first winter test, finishing third overall. Then, when we came here again in August, I finished second, just a couple of tenths down on Johnny Rea, so we know we can be very fast. Having said that, it’s also true that we struggled a lot during the latest race weekend, so let’s wait and see. I hope we can quickly get into a rhythm and find feeling with the bike, and that everything will be easier than it was at Magny-Cours.”
Xavi Vierge 97
“It’s finally time for my real home race, at a track I know very well and where we already had chance to carry out some testing sessions, back in the winter and more recently, in August. Both sessions went really well for us so I’m looking forward to starting the weekend and enjoying the Montmeló track with my bike and team, as we push for some good results.”
Rider standings
| Pos. | Rider | Num | Nation | Points | Team | Constructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bautista Alvaro | 19 | SPA | 332 | ARUBA Racing - Ducati | Ducati |
| 2 | Razgatlioglu Toprak | 1 | TUR | 302 | PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK | Yamaha |
| 3 | Rea Jonathan | 65 | GBR | 285 | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | Kawasaki |
| 4 | Rinaldi Michael Ruben | 21 | ITA | 167 | ARUBA Racing - Ducati | Ducati |
| 5 | Locatelli Andrea | 55 | ITA | 166 | PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK | Yamaha |
| 6 | Bassani Alex | 47 | ITA | 151 | Motocorsa Racing | Ducati |
| 7 | Redding Scott | 45 | GBR | 145 | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | BMW |
| 8 | Lowes Alex | 22 | GBR | 145 | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | Kawasaki |
| 9 | Lecuona Iker | 7 | SPA | 140 | Team HRC | Honda |
| 10 | Vierge Xavi | 97 | SPA | 82 | Team HRC | Honda |
| 11 | Gerloff Garrett | 31 | USA | 76 | GRT Yamaha WorldSBK | Yamaha |
| 12 | Baz Loris | 76 | FRA | 75 | Bonovo Action BMW | BMW |
| 13 | Öttl Philipp | 5 | GER | 53 | Team GOELEVEN | Ducati |
| 14 | Mahias Lucas | 44 | FRA | 41 | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing | Kawasaki |
| 15 | Bernardi Luca | 29 | ITA | 27 | BARNI Spark Racing Team | Ducati |
| 16 | Tamburini Roberto | 2 | ITA | 25 | Yamaha MotoxRacing WorldSBK Team | Yamaha |
| 17 | Laverty Eugene | 50 | IRE | 18 | Bonovo Action BMW | BMW |
| 18 | van der Mark Michael | 60 | NDL | 15 | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | BMW |
| 19 | Nozane Kohta | 3 | JPN | 13 | GRT Yamaha WorldSBK | Yamaha |
| 20 | Fores Xavi | 15 | SPA | 12 | Team GOELEVEN | Ducati |
| 21 | Mykhalchyk Illia | 37 | UKR | 10 | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | BMW |
| 22 | Ponsson Christophe | 23 | FRA | 8 | Team Gil Motor Sport | Yamaha |
| 23 | Syahrin Hafizh | 35 | MAL | 4 | MIE Racing HONDA Team | Honda |
| 24 | Haslam Leon | 91 | GBR | 4 | TPR Team Pedercini Racing | Kawasaki |
| 25 | Mackenzie Tarran | 95 | GBR | 3 | McAMS Yamaha | Yamaha |
| 26 | Hickman Peter | 10 | GBR | 2 | FHO Racing | BMW |
| 27 | Mercado Leandro | 36 | ARG | 2 | MIE Racing HONDA Team | Honda |
| 28 | Vinales Isaac | 32 | SPA | 0 | Yamaha MotoxRacing WorldSBK Team | Yamaha |
| 29 | Rabat Tito | 53 | SPA | 0 | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing | Kawasaki |
| 30 | Marvin Fritz | 17 | GER | 0 | Yamaha MotoxRacing WorldSBK Team | Yamaha |
| 31 | Ruiu Gabriele | 16 | ITA | 0 | B-Max Racing Team | BMW |
| 32 | Konig Oliver | 52 | CZE | 0 | ORELAC Racing VERDNATURA | Kawasaki |
| 33 | Vickers Ryan James | 77 | GBR | 0 | TPR Team Pedercini Racing | Kawasaki |
| 34 | Gutierrez Oscar | 99 | SPA | 0 | TPR Team Pedercini Racing | Kawasaki |
| 35 | Delbianco Alessandro | 25 | ITA | 0 | TPR Team Pedercini Racing | Kawasaki |
| 36 | Cresson Loris | 84 | BEL | 0 | TPR Team Pedercini Racing | Kawasaki |
Location Information
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Carrer Mas Moreneta, 08160 Montmeló, Barcelona, Spain Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
| POLE POSITION | Right |
| LENGHT | 4.627 Km |
| CORNERS | 14 |
| RIGHT CORNERS | 8 |
| LEFT CORNERS | 6 |
Records
| Pole Record | 1'39.489 (168,513 Km/h) T.Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR, 2024) |
| Race Record | 1'40.955 (166,066 Km/h) N. Bulega (Ducati V4 R, 2024, SPRC) |
| All Time Record | 1'39.489 (168,513 Km/h) T.Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR, 2024) |
| 2024 Race 1 Winner | T.Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR) |
| 2024 Superpole Winner | T.Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR) |
| 2024 Race 2 Winner | A. Bautista (Ducati V4 R) |
