Vierge: ‘Honda is a dream for every rider’, negotiations were very quick

WorldSBK rookie Xavi Vierge believes riding for Honda is a dream for every rider after the Spaniard left Moto2 to join Team HRC. 

Vierge, who will be alongside another former grand prix rider in Iker Lecuona this season, completed his second consecutive Jerez test last week. 

Both riders elected to ride on just the first day of the scheduled two-day test as Vierge finished second to Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes, while Lecuona was P3. 

Before joining Team HRC last October, Vierge had spent seven consecutive seasons in Moto2, and although touted for a MotoGP move midway through the 2021 campaign with the formerly known Petronas Yamaha outfit, the decision to join Honda was a very easy one for the Spaniard once it became apparent that no such move to MotoGP would happen. 

Talks between Vierge and the Razlan Razali-led Yamaha team came to an abrupt end when the team lost its main sponsor Petronas, but when similar negotiations came his way regarding a switch to Superbikes with Team HRC, ‘there was not so much’ according to Vierge who wanted the deal done as soon as possible. 

Vierge told WorldSBK: "The negotiations really… there was not so much! When my manager called me and said ‘hey, we have this on the table’, I was practically like ‘yes, yes!’. 

"The Honda factory team is a dream for me, so when we had this on the table, we started to speak. 

"They started to explain to me the team, the members inside of the team and it’s a great team! I of course wanted to join them. It’s really, really special. 

"Honda is Honda and I think it’s a dream for every rider. At least for me, it is. I am living my dream every time I go out on track and I see the colours and everything, it’s really special."