Team HRC tests at Barcelona ahead of WorldSBK Round 2

“We’ve been able to complete our work plan for these tests, while making adjustments along the way of course. The feeling with the bike wasn’t so bad when we started on Thursday but when we made a set-up change later that day, to try and improve the drive, this unfortunately caused my feeling to diminish. The work continued on Friday though, when we made a lot of laps and tested some new parts, particularly concerning the electronics, the engine brake area, and the swing-arm. Even though we haven't yet realized all the benefits we were hoping for, the test has given us indications of the direction to follow. We now have a lot of data to analyse in order to find the best possible base for the race weekend. I want to thank the team for all their hard work here and also Honda and HRC - everyone is working tirelessly in Japan to bring us new items and improve our machine, so a big thank you to everyone. Let's keep pushing forward.”

"This is the first time I’ve ridden the bike since Australia, and back home I haven’t been able to train as I normally would, nor have I been able to do any gym work. So, that’s the current situation. I’m doing my best, but I need to take things slowly. I’m listening to the physios and doctors. That's why, on Thursday, I chose to ride only in the morning before visiting the physio in Barcelona in the afternoon. The shoulder felt a bit better than I expected on Friday morning, so once the track conditions improved a little after early rain, I went out and rode most of the day. I didn’t feel too bad on the bike though of course there’s some fatigue at the end of the day. We tested everything we wanted to, and now it’s time to check the data and understand what’s worked and what hasn’t. It’s clear that we still need to work on all areas of the bikes rather than on any one specific aspect. Grip will be an issue for next week’s races, for everybody I think, so we need to find something there. The bike normally works well here but we’ll have to see next week what conditions are like, and how I am doing physically".