WorldSBK Team Launch: Team HRC show off new CBR1000RR-R alongside new livery
With the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round inching closer, spectators are in for a real treat as the first to see the new look WorldSBK grid line up, with Team HRC the latest to unveil their 2024 team livery. Team HRC are one of few teams that are unchanged in terms of rider line-up, featuring Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona on the CBR1000RR-R machines.
While the rider lineup hasn’t changed, there has been some changes amongst the Team HRC garage, with Iker Lecuona working alongside his new crew chief, Tom Jojic.
Lecuona spoke about their relationship so far, and their goals together as they enter the 2024 WorldSBK season: “To be honest, changing crew chief is never really a problem for me. I think I’m a friendly, open person and so I’m always happy to work with new colleagues and have always had a good relationship with members of my crew. My initial impression is good, and Tom seems to be a very cool guy with a positive, cheerful outlook. So far, so good, and I look forward to developing our relationship throughout the season. The goal is to fight for the podium. We reached the podium in our first year but not last year, which was more challenging. So, our first goal is to develop the bike to a level that allows us to fight at the front and fight for the podium. We want to achieve more top three finishes, and then take it from there.”“To be honest, changing crew chief is never really a problem for me. I think I’m a friendly, open person and so I’m always happy to work with new colleagues and have always had a good relationship with members of my crew. My initial impression is good, and Tom seems to be a very cool guy with a positive, cheerful outlook. So far, so good, and I look forward to developing our relationship throughout the season. The goal is to fight for the podium. We reached the podium in our first year but not last year, which was more challenging. So, our first goal is to develop the bike to a level that allows us to fight at the front and fight for the podium. We want to achieve more top three finishes, and then take it from there.”
Xavi Vierge joined Team HRC in the WorldSBK Championship in 2022, moving from the Moto2 Championship. Vierge scored his first podium in the WorldSBK Championship last year in Mandalika, and hopes to gain further momentum as he heads into his third season in the WorldSBK paddock.
Vierge also spoke of his objectives, saying: “Let’s say that we didn’t always live up to our potential in 2023, as performance sometimes depended on the track, the conditions, and whether there was a good level of grip or not. Our potential was great at Indonesia, for example, but perhaps less so at some other tracks, so we want to work hard to achieve a better, more consistent level of performance at different circuits.”
