Iker Lecuona sends warning to Ducati team-mate after Czech WorldSBK defeat

Iker Lecuona believes his first victory in WorldSBK is getting closer after running team-mate Nicolo Bulega close in Race 2 at Most.

While the stat sheet will say that Bulega won all three races and that Lecuona was second on each occasion at the Czech round, the Spaniard was more competitive than in previous events.

Lecuona’s hattrick of second places at Most means he’s now finished P2 in the last 12 races, all of which have been won by his Ducati team-mate. 

However, Lecuona has warned Bulega that he’s getting closer to that first win, saying “he knows it, the team knows it, [and] I know it.”

Speaking to WorldSBK.com after Race 2 in Most, Lecuona said: “I’m really happy about my Sunday. We changed the bike for the warm-up, [then] changed the bike a little bit for the sprint race and we changed the bike for race two, to take that risk, because we know that in case the bike does not work well, we have a chance to finish second far from Nicolo. 

“But honestly, we did the opposite of Race 1. Yesterday started well at the beginning and then I struggled in the last five laps, [but] today was the opposite. 

“I struggled a little bit in the beginning with new tyres, but I was close to Nicolo. He escaped a little bit but then I could recover at the end because we re-balanced the bike a little bit. 

“It’s the best weekend so far this season. Fighting yesterday with Nicolo, then in the Superpole Race the pace was crazy. 

“We went under the record for many laps. Even in Race 2 we went under the [previous lap] record. 

“Nicolo did a really good job, I have to say. So congrats to him. He’s an excellent rider. 

“I want to win, but I'm happy with my performance. I’m close to him, he knows it, the team knows it, I know it. It’s just [a matter of] time.”

Although Most proved to be another race weekend where Bulega ultimately had the upper hand, Lecuona says his performance was better than at other races.

Asked if he was frustrated by the continued run of P2 finishers, Lecuona added: “In Balaton, yes. I finished second but I was a bit frustrated because I expected a bit more. 

“In this case, I finished second but it’s different. Yesterday I fought with Nicolo for a few laps and recovered time. We arrived to him. 

“This morning, I was a bit pissed off because I expected a bit more but I struggled with the bike. But in any case, we went very fast. 

“This afternoon I finished second but the race was incredible. There were almost no mistakes. 

“It’s frustrating to finish second every race sometimes, but in this case my performance has increased. That is the important thing for me.”