Tenacious Team HRC gears up for Iberian double-header
Team HRC riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona aim to ride the wave of positive results to round out the 2024 Superbike World Championship on a high.
The Estoril Circuit in Portugal steps up to stage the penultimate round of the 2024 Superbike World Championship, which comes just one week before the season finale at Jerez on 18-20 October. With just two rounds to go, and with both factory riders set to remain with Team HRC for the 2025 season, Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona are keen to continue the recent trend that has seen them score a series of top six results, with the latest round at Motorland Aragón a case in point.
WorldSBK last visited the Portuguese track in 2022, when the Team HRC riders enjoyed a strong weekend, with Iker Lecuona placing fourth in the Superpole race and sixth in both long races, and Vierge finishing fifth in race 1. The team also completed a fruitful day’s testing at this same circuit in August and so heads into the weekend with some very valuable data and relatively recent references.
Located very close to the coastal town of Estoril and roughly 30 km from Lisbon, the Circuito do Estoril features on the WorldSBK calendar for only the fifth time. The circuit measures 4182 metres in length and incorporates a straightway of almost 1km, as well as four left-hand turns and nine right-handers.
Weekend schedule (CET-1):
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
Estoril is a track that I truly love. It’s a special place for me because I finished top five in my very first race there, so I’ve great memories of the circuit. Beyond that, we had the chance to complete a test session there this summer, which turned out to be very productive. It helped us fine-tune the bike setup and improve the overall feeling. Considering all this, I’m really excited to return to Estoril for the first of the two events that will bring the season to a close. I feel very motivated and am looking forward to seeing how everything we’ve worked on will translate when we hit the track again.
Iker Lecuona 7
I like Estoril, but liking a track doesn’t always guarantee you’ll be fast around it! The testing we did there brought some positives, but that was a while ago, so we’ll have to see how things go when we get out on track this time. At the last round, we struggled a bit on the long straights, so that’s something we’ll need to keep an eye on at Estoril as well. That said, we’ve been having a positive run recently and have been really happy with the progress we’ve made, so now it’s just a matter of seeing if we can maintain that level in these final races of the season
Location Information
Circuito Estoril – Av. Alfredo César Torres 2646 – 901 Alcabideche – Portugal www.circuito-estoril.pt The Circuito Estoril, situated just 30km from the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon, will host the WorldSBK class, along with the FIM Supersport World Championship and the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship from the 16th –… read more.
| POLE POSITION | Left |
| LENGHT | 4.182 Km |
| CORNERS | 13 |
| RIGHT CORNERS | 9 |
| LEFT CORNERS | 4 |
Records
| Pole Record | 1'35.346 (157,901 Km/h) J. Rea (Kawasaki ZX-10RR - 2022) |
| Race Record | 1'36.178 (156,535 Km/h) N. Bulega - SPRC (Ducati Panigale V4R- 2024) |
| All Time Record | 1'35.346 (157,901 Km/h) J. Rea (Kawasaki ZX-10RR - 2022) |
| 2024 Race 1 Winner | T. Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR) |
| 2024 Superpole Race Winner | N. Bulega (Ducati Panigale V4R) |
| 2024 Race 2 Winner | T. Razgatlioglu (BMW M 1000 RR) |
