Iker Lecuona: “I think I can be 100% ready” for 2025 World Superbike opener

Iker Lecuona’s 2025 season has already been conditioned by injuries, but the Spanish rider is hopeful he can be at or close to full fitness by the start of the season.

The opening round of the 2025 World Superbike Championship is now less than two weeks away on 21-23 February, and Lecuona’s preseason running has so far been restricted by an injury he picked up during training ahead of the opening test of the year in Jerez last month.

“I had bad luck last year with an injury at Jerez and then I sustained another small injury at the start of this year, so a long period of time with injuries,” Lecuona reflected.

“I think I can be 100 per cent ready for Australia, or at least 95% – I’ll be ready to fight, that’s for sure.”

Looking ahead to 2025, Lecuona is entering the season with an open mind.

“I learned last year that perhaps it’s not the best idea to start with any particular expectations,” he said.

“For now, the plan is to get on the bike, complete the tests immediately prior to the Australian race weekend, and then take it session by session over the weekend itself.

“I love the Phillip Island track but haven’t had a lot of luck there in the past. The plan is to arrive there with a good base and in good shape, mentally and physically, and to be ready for anything.”

While it was Lecuona’s teammate, Xavi Vierge, who was the more consistent of the factory Honda pair at the very end of last year – partly thanks to the injury in Jerez Lecuona mentioned – it was Lecuona who had the standout results.

In Cremona, the #7 scored three top-sixes, including a fourth in Race 1, and he was on the box in the first race at Estoril, too, with a third place coming there in Portugal for the Spaniard’s second WorldSBK podium and first since Assen 2022.

“The start of last year was hard, I had a new bike, a new crew chief [Tom Jojic], I was also injured,” Lecuona said.

“Then from the summer we tried to reset, putting the start of the season behind us and applying the old base to the new bike and things started to work.

“My crew chief and I worked hard together, so that he could better understand my style and I could more effectively communicate my needs, and we improved a lot as a result.

“From summer to the end of the year we took important steps, which helped us both mentally and physically, in that I felt stronger on the bike and better able to push. The results started to come, and the podium was amazing. So, the target is to continue in the same way this year.”