Honda WorldSBK hit the ground running at Jerez this week as new recruits Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge switched bikes and championships for 2022.

While ex-MotoGP rider Lecuona was forced to sit out of Friday’s final day of WorldSBK action after sustaining a left hand injury during Thursday’s fall, his teammate, former Moto2 rider Vierge, continued for the closing day by completing a further 74 laps.

Perfect weather allowed three full days of track time for the rookies to familiarise themselves with the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade while 2022 upgrades were delayed to the new year.

With both riders still under contract from their previous employers, HRC Team Manager, and ex-WorldSBK front runner Leon Camier was on hand to evaluate the opening outing for his new squad.

“We’ve essentially made a very good start and both Iker and Xavi have adapted very quickly to the bike and to the team - you could sense that they’re highly motivated,” Camier explained on Friday afternoon.

“The lap times were good right away, but this was not our goal and so we were not pushing for those. It was all about trying to understand the bike, the tyres and the changes we made, which have most related to electronics at this initial stage.

“Their comments were in line with what we already knew about the bike, and that’s impressive at what is their first test. We used our current bike so that they could understand the base set-up and what we have now, and then they’ll be able to evaluate the updates we’ll introduce next year.

“Conditions have been very good throughout the whole test, so even though Iker missed the final day, he was able to take advantage of a lot of useful track time and has already completed a lot of work. Of course, we need more time on track with both riders, so that they gradually gain experience. It’s an all-round learning process, but so far everything has been going very well.”