Past, present and future. On the eve of the Balaton round, Iker Lecuona opened up in this in-depth interview, touching on a variety of topics. As Superbike heads to Hungary this weekend, the Balaton Park circuit brings back painful memories for the Spanish rider, given what happened last July.
Now, however, the story is quite different; Iker has left Honda and is now enjoying a sort of second life with Ducati, which has put a smile back on his face. The numbers don’t lie, and it seems he is Nicolò Bulega’s direct rival in the title race.
“The accident at Balaton a year ago was one of the worst moments of my racing career,” he began. “I remember that I had a lot planned at the time: the 8 Hours with Honda, a few substitute rides in MotoGP… I was very busy and competitive. Then the crash happened, and I found myself in the hospital, both before and after the surgery. I was devastated, especially mentally: it was really tough. But afterward, when everything fell into place with Ducati, it was incredible for me. Last weekend was also very positive, just like in Australia. I’m coming here feeling good: last year I was fast with Honda, and I know I can be fast with Ducati too. Why not aim for the win? I’ve talked about it with my crew chief as well; in fact, we want to work step by step, just like last weekend, but I think we can be even more competitive here.”
What do you think of this track?
“To be honest, I don’t like it; in fact, I consider it dangerous. We also saw what happened in MotoGP last year, where Enea took a huge risk and was nearly run over by the other riders. But in the end, we’re here and we have to race.”
This year you switched from Honda to Ducati. If you had to explain it to a fan: what are the main differences?
“The bikes are completely different. On paper, the Honda worked well but had a lot of issues. The Ducati is more stable in some situations; in others, it’s more challenging but also more powerful. I’d say the biggest difference between the two bikes lies in the electronics.”
How much did you have to change your riding style?
“Not much, but I have to be cleaner and gentler on the bike. With the Honda, it was easier to go fast; with the Ducati, it’s the opposite. In fact, if I push hard, I go slower, so you have to be smooth and gentle. The interesting thing is that I’ve only crashed once on the Ducati—while testing a new tyre—otherwise everything is under control. I haven’t reached the bike’s limit yet.”
What are you lacking compared to Bulega?
“Confidence, especially in fast corners. I’m still a bit more cautious. Otherwise, we’re similar, and sometimes I’m even faster than him. Aiming for the World Championship? I never say no. Bulega has a good lead, but anything can happen: crashes, perfect weekends… We’re not mathematically out of it yet. It’ll be tough, but we can be in the mix for wins.”
If I say MotoGP, what do you say?
“Actually, it was almost just one season because of Covid. I thank KTM for the opportunity, since I was able to race against riders like Marquez, Rossi, Pedrosa, Lorenzo, and many others. It was very important for me, both as a rider and as a person.”
Do you remember when you were let go by KTM?
“At the start of the year, both Danilo and I already knew; we weren’t stupid, after all. The confirmation came between FP4 and Q1 in Austria—at the worst possible moment. It wasn’t easy, but I thank them anyway. At the same time, I realized I didn’t want to continue in that environment or with the way they worked.”
Have you spoken with Dall’Igna yet?
“No, not yet. But that’s normal: MotoGP has many more races and more pressure. We have three races; they have many more and even bigger problems to manage. This weekend went better for Ducati, thanks in part to Marc’s great work, but there are still complicated situations. I think Gigi has other priorities right now, and it’s normal that he hasn’t spoken to me yet.”
Given all the difficulties you’ve faced with Honda, why didn’t you decide to opt out of your contract like Marquez did?
“I decided to stay with Honda because it was the best choice for me. There was also the possibility of returning to MotoGP with Honda, and in any case, the factory team is always something important. We decided to stay for another two years and see if Honda could make a real step forward. Internally, a lot of things were changing, so we thought: why not give it a try? The problem is that by the start of last year, we realized we didn’t stand a chance. Those four years with Honda, even though they were tough, helped me grow tremendously, both as a rider and as a person.”
Iker, to beat Bulega, do you need to do what Rea did in 2019 with Bautista— stay close and aim for maximum consistency?
“If I can stay up front and he makes a mistake, anything can happen. The championship is long: we race three times a weekend, and there are a lot of points up for grabs. If I end up fighting for second place, that would be incredible for me. For the team, too. And I’m happy for Niccolò as well, because he’s been working incredibly hard for years. I’ve only been with Ducati for a short time, I’ve only done a few races, while he’s been here for five years. Yet I’m already close: that gives me confidence. I don’t feel any pressure; the pressure is more on him. I’m having a lot of fun with the bike and the team.”