Camier: Super concessions ‘a slow burner, not all of a sudden competitive’

For large parts of the 2022 WorldSBK campaign, Honda were the fourth best manufacturer despite mixing it with the likes of Ducati, Yamaha and Kawasaki riders at times.

Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge both impressed as rookies, finishing ninth and tenth in the championship - Lecuona likely would have secured eighth ahead of Scott Redding has he not missed the last six races due to injury - however, the gap to the top three riders was still a problem for Honda.

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One advantage Honda and main rivals BMW had over its competition in 2022 were the new super concessions system which allowed both manufacturers to make chassis changes when accumulating points through their results.

But Camier was quick to point out that it will take time for super concessions to bring them on a par with the top three manufacturers.

"The super concession thing is a slow burner," Camier told WorldSBK.com. "It’s not that you get one thing and, all of a sudden, you’re going to be competitive straight away. There are so many moving parts to a team. 

"Teams have been in this paddock for 15-20 years and it takes time for you, as a team to get there. We’re in our third year as a team. There are many little parts we need to keep improving in the team and on the bike as well. 

"It’s a new bike. With the first year of Covid, nothing was really done. Last year and this year there’s been good progress. The hard part is the last part and that’s where we are now. 

"For us, as HRC, we have to keep working on our own project and focus on our own issues and things we know we can improve. That’s the goal."

In both 2020 and 2021 Honda were consistently struggling to challenge for podiums or even top five finishes, but with improvements made to the CBR1000RR-R and the introduction of Lecuona and Vierge, Team HRC were much closer to the leading riders in 2022. 

Speaking about last season’s performance, Camier added: "It’s definitely been a lot of progress. With two rookies, we were confident they could come in and perform well but also the base of our package became a lot more stable this year, I would say. 

"There were quite a few changes, as we know, from suspension and brakes and these things which were quite a few unknowns. 

"Our idea was to do it now and try to progress and to develop everything for future profits. In general, I think the year’s gone very well. We were really fast many times with both riders. Many top sixes and a podium; it was a little bit gifted, but we had to be there to fight for it anyway. 

"In general, I think it’s been a good year and we’re quite confident the future will keep progressing. It’ll take time for sure. It’s not something we turn around in one day. 

"Japan are working hard but they’re not super-fast to make changes always and, when they do, they want to make sure it's the right way."