The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has never been more competitive. On any given weekend, the 18 fastest riders in the Championship are separated by just one second. Modern racing is a game of tiny margins and while the milliseconds from pole position add up so does the budget to catch up.

OPTIMISM FOR HONDA: a tough run but things looking up

Team HRC is the best example of the challenges facing teams in the midfield in the World Superbike class. Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge are good riders. Both came to the production-based series with Grand Prix pedigree that proved their talent. WorldSBK though is a tough nut to crack. Both riders have found this with one podium apiece over the course of the last three seasons. It’s easy to look at the shortcomings of Honda’s performance and think wholesale change will bring a change in fortunes.

After three years, both Lecuona and Vierge have scored less points each season. Despite increasing their experience, the fortunes of Honda have been on a downward spiral. Much of that has been due to an increase in competitive bikes on the grid and a closer field. In three years, there have been precious few reasons for optimism at Honda. Until now.

CONSISTENTLY IN THE TOP TEN: Lecuona and Vierge show Honda’s potential

For three consecutive weekends, Magny-Cours, Cremona, and Aragon, both bikes have finished every race inside the top ten. This is the first time we’ve seen such form from both riders at the same time. The superconcession system has helped Honda to find improvements and understand their bike to a much greater degree than in the past. 

Even when Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) was riding for HRC in 2020 and 2021 consistent performances were the biggest problem. The Spaniard’s good days on the Fireblade were very good and he could take podiums and challenge at the front, but his bad days were crash filled. For the team, in recent years their tough days have been painful days with Lecuona having missed races in each season due to injury.

KEEPING THE BALL ROLLING: a small chance of a top-ten Championship finish

The bright sparks of recent rounds have been encouraging for the team and for the manufacturer. Now the goal has to be keeping momentum on their side as we finish the season in Estoril and Jerez. Both riders will feel that there’s a chance to finish the season in this vein of form It probably won’t be enough to catch Remy Gardner in the Championship, the Yamaha man is 35 points ahead of Lecuona, it should at least give them momentum heading into the winter.

A LONG JOURNEY: seeing rewards for progress

The package of the bike and riders is strong. The engine in the Fireblade is as fast and powerful as anything else on the grid. The team are now making progress with their understanding of the chassis, Pirelli tyres and the demands of WorldSBK. It’s been a long road to get to this point and a lot of money has been spent but the progress they showed in September is real and they’re now close to being able to fight closer to the front.

WINTER IS KEY: can Honda keep the momentum going into 2025?

It remains to be seen how much change will come in the winter. Rumours have been rife about upheaval at Team HRC. Their technical team is set to change with the make-up of the crews for both riders set to be revamped. It’s far from the ideal time for these changes when stability could help them further improve their package. That being said, the data and information from this season will allow them to go into the winter months confident of progressing further. Team HRC has been a major talking point around the paddock for years but finally they are making news for the right reasons.

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