Misano WorldSBK Test: Iker Lecuona: “I don’t have any confidence to release the brakes, cannot be happy”

On both days Lecuona and Honda were a long way away from the top time set by WorldSBK champi⛦on Alvaro Bautista.
Lecuona finished 1.5 second off Bautista come the e꧅nd of both days, and while that deficit was still strong enough for a P8 finish on Thursday, the Honda rider was then pushed all the way down to 14th on Friday.
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As has been a common theme over the last season or so, Honda gave both Lecuona and Xavi Vierge some new parts in a bid to challenge the likes of Ducati and Yamaha, however, Lecuona felt the same issues as before in the wet, which🍌 is the rear trying to ꦐ‘overtake me’.
Speaking to , Lecuona said: "It was quite difficult, hoᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnestly. In general, we struggled. We tried different 💃items on the bike but with one it feels better, with another it’s so-so. Overall, honestly, I cannot be happy.
"The weather doesn’t help us to approve but even in wet conditions this morning, we had the chance to ride and I felt the same problem as always: that the rear wants to overtake me and I don’t have any confidence to release the brakes and to go in 🎃fast.
"I felt slow in the wet and usually I g♈o fast. Still struggling in the wet, still struggling a little bit in the dry. We need to check the data. I’m not🐭 happy."
As part of the test items, Lecuona was seen riding with two different swingarms as he attempted to improve his p♌ace.
However, the 💮former MotoGP rider was left unconvinced after failing to understand what areas it was helping with.
Lecuona added: "We’re looking to improve the lap time! 🤪We don’t know if it’s better for the corners o♋r for stopping or whatever.
"We tried some different items, some differe🙈nt ways, to improve the lap time and the feeling with 🐟the bike, to see if we had more margin to improve.
"The situation right now is that, yeste𝕴rday, I tried two different swingarms. Today, with the weather, I didn’t try anything; just my standard bike.
"Yesterday, I didn’t like one and I 𓆉liked the other but, the one I like is just in a few areas. For example, it helped me in stopping but in a different area we lost a little bit.
🐼"We need to check the data and understand if it’s better or not. I’m not happy. It’s true it’s a test to try these items but I expec💙ted more."