Xavi Vierge admits Honda will also need to add weight to WorldSBK machine
Alvaro Bautista will not be alone in adding weight to his bike as Xavi Vierge says Honda will do the same.
Ducati confirmed last week that they added six kilos of ballast to Alvaro Bautista’s WorldSBK machine in order to reach the new minimum weight limit rule, and fellow Spaniard Xavi Vierge says Honda will do the same before the season-opener in Phillip Island.
The third-year WorldSBK rider struggled during last week’s Jerez test, as did team-mate Iker Lecuona.
Riding a completely new bike, both riders were way down the order and Vierge, has admitted that using the full potential of the bike’s power when picking up the throttle is one of their main concerns.
“The first thing is that I’m happy to be back working with my team; we are lucky that we have really good weather to test, so this allowed us to make many changes on the bike, on setup and on the electronics side,” began Vierge when talking to WorldSBK.com.
“Of course, we can’t be happy because we struggled more than expected on the traction phase but as I told you, we made huge changes on the bike setup and now we have some days off before Portimao, which will be crucial to analyse all the data and to understand the way to follow.
“We aren’t able to use the power we have; we have so much spin and right now, this is the point to work on.
“The goal for everyone is to win but right now, it’s too early because we have a completely new bike. We only did four days of testing and we are struggling more than expected.”
On the subject of weight limits, Vierge said Lecuona, who is heavier than him has an advantage and that on his side of the garage they will add some weight.
Vierge added: “It is difficult to say. Inside our box we have two different riders. Iker is heavier than me and I’m a bit lighter.
“Iker has some strengths because of his weight. He can generate more power to the tyre and use more of the potential.
“For me, the bike is a little bit faster on the straight. With that kind of power it is difficult to find a rule everyone can be happy with. We will need to add some weight to our bike.”
