Honda’s factory WorldSBK riders Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista had another weekend to forget at Misano as setup problems and electronics put paid to the chances of a meaningful result.

Neither rider is able to recover the pace and feeling found during winter testing and it looks like the mighty HRC has not only lost its way in MotoGP but also in World Superbikes.

Haslam crashed out of yesterday’s main event after an 11th in the Superpole race while Bautista took a tenth and an eighth. Both hope a test at the Navarra track will help find some solutions.

“Today was tougher than yesterday because in the Superpole race we had a problem with the set-up that affected our whole race, in that I couldn’t lap as fast as I did yesterday,” said the Spaniard.

“Finishing outside the top nine also dropped us back on the grid for race two. I’m sorry because it was a small mistake, but it prevented us from performing well. In race two I was able to make a good start and gain a lot of positions but, on a more slippery track and considering the braking and corner entry problems we’ve been having all weekend, I struggled more than yesterday.

“In the end I think eighth was the best possible result today. We have work to do, we know that, but we’ll get it done. I just want to thank HRC and the team as everyone’s working hard on this project.

“We will be back on track soon for some testing at Navarra and it will be very important to understand the track, one where we’ve never ridden of course, but also continue to work on the bike using the data we have collected this weekend.”

Haslam concluded: “Obviously the last race was a bit of a disaster as I lost the front in turn one, ran onto the green to try and save it but ultimately crashed. We have struggled with a few issues throughout the whole weekend, things we’ve been carrying since the first race actually.

“It’s a little strange as I’ve felt very positive during all the tests we have done. So yes, it was a less than ideal weekend here in Misano but we will work together as a team to seek a solution. We have some tests in a few days’ time before my home race at Donington where I hope to arrive feeling more like I did at the beginning of the year.”