Rain and crash setbacks for Honda, unable to test one crucial item

Honda’s Xavi Vierge was scuppered by the weather and a crash at the World Superbike Championship test in Portimao.

The second of the two days of testing was severely hampered by rain and Honda were among those to suffer.

As well as Vierge taking a tumble, Honda were unable to complete their testing programme leaving them with a headache ahead of the new WBSK season.

Vierge said about his Turn 1 crash where he locked the front tyre: “It was a small one but it’s a fast track, and in wet [conditions] everything goes even faster when you touch the ground. But it’s what it is, physically I’m fine.”

Vierge was fourth-fastest on Day 1 in Portimao, and ninth on Day 2 despite the limited running.

A week earlier in Jerez, he was fourth. So his form is good although Honda were left frustrated by the limited action on Wednesday at Portimao.

Honda were unable to gather feedback on their new Ohlins suspension. And Vierge was unable to build a relationship with new crew chief Tetusya Sasaki.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have so much dry time here,” he said.

“We can use the half-day, but in corner four and 13 there was a river of water all day.

“Anyway, we can make good progress; we came here with the bike of Jerez and see how it works here.

“At the beginning, I was struggling a little bit, but we made some changes on the bike setup and it affected the bike a lot on the bike, and I started to feel very good.

“So, [Tuesday] has been a very positive one. [Wednesday], unfortunately, as soon as we went out from the box it started to rain, but [it was] the kind of day that it’s not enough water on track to test on a proper rain.

“So, we decided to use a flag-to-flag – basically a dry setting with [wet] tyres – and see how it works.

“Honestly, the feeling was not so bad, but in corner one I locked the front; it was a super-strange crash, unfortunately, but it is what it is.

“I think it was the time to try these kind of things; so, happy with the job done, and I hope in Australia there will be more dry time to try to make a step forward.

“[/We want to] continue with the work. Unfortunately, we have many plans for these four days [in Jerez and Portimao] that we cannot do.

“So, we will try to make all the [work] that we can, we will focus on the electronics, and find the bike setup – we will move to another different track so we will see how the bike works there.”

WSBK have two days of testing in Phillip Island before the season begins at the same venue.

Vierge said: “I feel good. Of course, until we arrive there – winter test is winter test, even the first two days in Australia will be winter tests.

“The real championship will start on the race weekend. But we will just focus on ourselves; I think we are making a good job in the right direction, so I hope we can see the results in Australia.”