Honda’s Leon Haslam is expecting to be a regular WorldSBK podium botherer in 2021 but wouldn’t be drawn on whether he can challenge for the title.
The Briton has a year’s worth of data, an ex-MotoGP electronics engineer and a raft of new parts at his behest for this season and feels like he can make a nuisance of himself in the quest for podiums and the next step.
“The championship is a different thing compared to taking that next step. Last year we had a few top five results. We both had issues but ended up on the exact same points,” Haslam told bikesportnews.com from Barcelona.
“From my point of view, that was like a win. Alvaro won 15 races the year before, his first year on a Ducati so to be quicker him at 100 per cent of the tests and finish on the same points, OK I wasn’t happy with the results, but at the same time I felt like we ticked the boxes for that year.
“This winter, Honda has been 100 per cent behind the project, they are trying really really hard, I can’t really ask any more from that. We have been restricted to an amount of days that we can do with the new rules.
“So that’s been not ideal for this project to come on faster, but Honda have responded and every test we have had has been really positive in terms of where I believe that it needs to be to be able to win races.”
Both Haslam and Bautista have received new chassis parts, engine upgrades and electronic pokery which Haslam says made a big contribution.
It’s everything, it’s all the things that were requested last year we’ve now got for this winter. Clutch setup to chassis setup to engine configuration to how we manage the electronics, I don’t think there’s anything that is the same as far as actual hardware.
“Yes, it’s the same Fireblade but so far as racing’s concerned we’ve changed pretty much all the other factors. It’s the second year, last year all my guys were in their first ever year in World Superbike. Now, we’ve got information, we’ve got data. We’ve got new key people that have been a positive influence on these first few tests.
“I think we’re going to be challenging for podiums on a more regular basis which is a massive step compared to where it was last year. So for me that’s the first thing that we need to do. It’s going to have its strengths and weaknesses, track by track.
“Aragon is going to be a good start, I think, obviously Kawasaki is still the one to everyone’s got to beat. Ducati, there’s a lot of people on it and it’s obviously proven to be winning races. So they are, in my opinion, our targets.”
