A maiden WorldSBK win looked within reach for Iker Lecuona before late disappointment at Balaton Park.
Lecuona stole the headlines on Friday as he topped Practice on the opening day at the Hungarian WorldSBK Round.
It appeared that the Spaniard may finally be able to end his teammate, Nicolo Bulega’s, unbeaten run from the early stages of the year.
However, a poor Superpole session and a grid penalty cost the Ducati rider in Race 1, as he started from the middle of the third row of the grid.
In the Superpole Race on Sunday morning, Lecuona finished in second place and was once again behind Bulega.
However, Lecuona’s best chance came in Race 2 after his Superpole Race result put him alongside Bulega on the grid as they lined up in first and second.
The Spaniard was unable to match Bulega’s getaway at the start of the race, but remained behind the Italian and kept him honest in the early stages of the race.
But as the laps ticked down, Lecuona began to drift further and further away from Bulega. Despite the early pressure from the Spaniard, he was unable to get the better of his teammate.
In the end, Lecuona left Balaton Park with a hat-trick of second places, and his quest for a maiden WorldSBK win continues.
When speaking to Speedweek after Race 2, Lecuona said, “Nicolo did a really good job. He almost made a few mistakes in front of me.
“I put him under a lot of pressure. That makes me really happy, because he had to push himself to the limit.
“It wasn’t an easy race for him. I can say that because I saw some saves from him. He was on the limit!
“He’s been riding for Ducati for five years already. For me, it was my fourth race with Ducati. I have to be happy.
“Of course, I’m frustrated because I want to win. But I have to be happy. That’s the reality.”
Iker Lecuona reveals illness cost him a chance to fight with Nicolo Bulega in Race 2
Ahead of the Hungarian WorldSBK Round, Lecuona revealed that he had been suffering from an illness, which affected his riding throughout the weekend.
The 26-year-old stated that the fatigue he experienced from his illness cost him in Race 2 at Balaton Park.
Due to the short time period between the Superpole Race and Race 2 on Sunday, Lecuona did not have enough time to recover for the final race of the weekend.
Lecuona said, “I already mentioned before the weekend that I wasn’t feeling well. On Thursday, I felt really bad, and on Friday, I struggled a lot.
“I wasn’t able to recover sufficiently between the sprint and the second main race. It felt like I had already finished a long race.
“In the last few laps, I had to ease off the pace. I made a few mistakes because I was tired and couldn’t concentrate anymore.”
READ MORE – Nicolo Bulega claims Hungarian WorldSBK treble with Race 2 victory
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