But the big question for Iker Lecuona is whether he will be one of those riဣders battling at the front.

Honda got off to a difficult starꩲt at Phillip Island as a lack of pace compared to their rivals was evident. 

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On top of that, Lecuꦡona missed all three races aft𝔉er suffering an injury during the pre-season test just days before.

Keen to put his injury issues aside although he admits he’s still not fully fit, Lecuona has gone well in Barcelona before and it’s a circu🦩it that typically suits the🌳 Honda.

"I really like the Montmelo track,” began Lecuona. “I usually have good speed th♔ere andꦅ even secured pole position two years ago.

“Although we fa♛ced some challenges last year, we still managed to be competitive. T👍his season, I expect a host of riders to be quick, with the overall level even higher than before.

“This makes the upcoming💎 challenge more daunting, especially sin⛄ce I'm not yet 100% physically fit.

“After the injury, there was a whole month where I couldn't train properly - in fact, I barely trained at ꦅall.

“During last week's testing, I fe♋lt a 🍸bit fatigued. So, it remains to be seen if the race will be tougher than anticipated.

“I’m taking i♌t one day at a time and not setting any expectations for the weekend, good or bad - we'll just see how things unfold.”

Lecuona’s team-mate Xavi Vierge is also a fan of the Catalunya circuit, with a ꧟best result of third coming in Moto2 (2021).

In his six WorldSBK appearances in Barcelona, Vierge has fi𝔍nished inside the top ten on five occasions.

Vierge added: "I’m super happy to be heading into round 2, h🧸ere at home! Riding in front of my home crowd always adds a special touch, and of course I love the track - it's b𒅌een the backdrop to some of the best moments in my career.

“After two intense days of testing last week, we've gat🔜her♉ed a lot of data, which will be crucial for the team to prepare the best possible setup.

“This will allow us to hit the ground running and concentrate on our performance right from♎ the start.

“Montmelo is normally a favouraꦫble track for our bike, and we need to exploit this to secure the best possibleღ results."