Earlier in the day, the short Superpole race ran to schedule at 1pm local time (CET +10). According to their qualifying results yesterday, Lecuona started from eleventh on the grid and Vierge seventeenth. The ten-lap sprint allows little room for error, and the two Spaniards worked hard to make up positions in the limited time available. By the end of lap one, Vierge was lying tenth and Lecuona fourteenth. Iker quickly made up several positions and passed his team-mate on lap 3 to move tenth. Midway through this short sprint and Iker had gained further ground, running eighth, in front of Xavi, eleventh. While Lecuona held his position to the line, Vierge dropped one position to finish twelfth.
Factory riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge made a promising start to their 2023 campaign during the season-opener in Australia but are keen to build on those initial results at the Indonesian track. Thanks to their results at the first round, Iker and Xavi currently place seventh and tenth in the championship standings.
Lecuona was unable to compete in last year’s Mandalika races due to injuries sustained in a crash during the weekend’s first practice, but he is eager to tackle the Indonesian track now for the first time. Vierge scored a best result of sixth during last season’s round, when all three of the weekend’s races played out in very hot and humid conditions.
The beautiful circuit, which is situated in the Mandalika area of Lombok island, was only inaugurated two years ago, in 2021, when it staged the WorldSBK season finale. The track measures 4.3 km in length and features a total of seventeen turns, namely six left-handers and eleven right-handers.
Iker Lecuona #7
“I really happy to be in Indonesia and I just hope that the track conditions are better than they were last year, at least as far as I was able to experience, because my weekend was brought to a premature end after a massive high-side. But I like the track and I’m excited to be back in Mandalika and to race here for the first time. After the Australian weekend, I think we’re ready to fight again. We’re still learning about the new bike, so we’ll see but I’m looking forward to the next round.”
Xavi Vierge #97
“We now have the second round of the year at an amazing circuit. I really enjoyed last year’s races and I’m looking forward to getting back there, as there was an incredible atmosphere with great fans. I love the track, it's a layout I really enjoy, but hope it will be in a better condition than last year, as this will make for more exciting races. I can’t wait to get started!”