Spanish rider Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) will compete in his second MotoGP™ race of 2023 at the TT Circuit Assen in place of the still-recovering Joan Mir. The 23-year-old, who replaced Marc Marquez at Jerez earlier this season, will be back on board the RC213V at the iconic Dutch circuit – the same venue he took his maiden MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium in 2021 as he returns to the Repsol Honda Team in the Netherlands.
Lecuona was declared unfit during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round after a crash with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) with a left hip injury and left ankle contusion. However, he revealed last week that he would be back on a bike to resume his training as he aimed for a return to action at Donington Park. His racing return will now take place a week earlier with a second MotoGP™ outing of the season during the Motul TT Assen. The Valencian rider will take the place of 2020 World Champion Joan Mir as he continues to recover from a finger injury sustained at Mugello, with Lecuona racing alongside Marquez if the eight-time World Champion is declared fit after withdrawing from the German Grand Prix.
2023 has been mixed so far for Lecuona. After a strong start to the campaign in Australia, Indonesia proved to be a challenge and he took a best of ninth while teammate Xavi Vierge claimed his first podium. As WorldSBK returned to Europe, the Spaniard had two retirements from crashes at the TT Circuit Assen before finding form again in Barcelona with fourth in the Tissot Superpole Race. He was running in the top nine at Misano before the collision with Petrucci in the Superpole Race, which ruled him out of Race 2.
Discussing his return to MotoGP™, Lecuona said: “First of all, I want to wish Joan all the best in his recovery. I am excited to join the team again, it’s a true honour. Assen is a circuit I like; I got my first WorldSBK podium there so hopefully we can have another good weekend like in Jerez. I am still recovering a bit after the crash in Misano, so this will be a good physical test too. Let’s ride!”
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Source: WorldSBK.com