But the big question for Iker Lecuona is whether he will be one of those riders bat♛tling at the front.

Honda got off to a difficult start at Phillip Island as a lac🏅k of pace compared to their rivals was evident. 

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On top of that, Lecuon♏a missed all three races after suffering an injury during 𓄧the pre-season test just days before.

Keen to put his i𝓰njury issues aside although he admits he’s still not fully fit, Lecuona has gone well in Barcelona before and it’s a circuit that typically suits the Honda.

"I really like the Montmelo track,” began Lecuona. “I usually have good speed ther🧜e and even secured pole position two years ago.

“Although we faced some challenges last year, we still managed to be c🔯ompetitive. This season, I expect a host of riders to be quick, with the overall level even higher than before.

“This makes the upcoming challenge more daunting, especially since I'm not yet 100% physic💜ally fit.

“After the injury, there was a whole month where I coul⛦dn't train properly - in fact, I barely trained at all.

“During last wꦰeek's testing, I felt a bit fatigued. So, it remains to be seen if the race will be tougher than anticipated.

“I’m taking it one day at a time and not setting 🀅any expectations for the weekend, good or bad - we'll just see how things unfold.”

Lecuona’s team-mateꦚ Xavi Vierge is also a fan of the Catalunya circuit, with a best🔥 result of third coming in Moto2 (2021).

In his ♌six WorldSB𓂃K appearances in Barcelona, Vierge has finished inside the top ten on five occasions.

Vierge added: "I’m super happy to be heading into round 2, here at home! Riding in front of my home crowd always adds a special touch, and of course I love the track - it's been✃ the backdrop to some of the best moments in my career.

“After two intenℱse days of testing last week, we've gathered a lot of data, whi🦩ch will be crucial for the team to prepare the best possible setup.

“This will allow us to hit the ground running and conceওntrate on our perf🦩ormance right from the start.

“Montmelo is normally a favourable track for our bike, and ꦑwe need to exploit this to secure the best possible reꦑsults."