Honda HRC Claim Heroic Suzuka 8 Hours Victory 

Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco delivers Honda’s fourth straight win and Takahashi’s record seventh in brutal heat. 

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Honda HRC’s Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco pulled off a remarkable triumph at the 46th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, overcoming extreme heat, punishing humidity, and the challenge of racing as a two-rider squad to take Japan’s FIM Endurance World Championship round victory.

Without a third rider to share the load, Takahashi and Zarco endured longer stints than their rivals but executed a flawless race strategy, sealing Honda’s fourth consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours win and 31st overall. For Takahashi, the result marked a record-extending seventh Suzuka victory, while Zarco claimed his second consecutive win after his 2024 debut triumph.

Yamaha Racing Team returned to Suzuka for the first time since 2019 and finished second, 34.243 seconds behind the winners, with Andrea Locatelli, Jack Miller, and Katsuyuki Nakasuga. Yoshimura SERT Motul completed the podium for the second straight year after Dan Linfoot recovered from a crash to overtake SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda’s Yuki Kunii late in the race.

The victory battle began with Takahashi starting from pole, briefly losing the lead to Kunii before reclaiming it on lap 14. From there, the Honda HRC pair maintained control with consistent lap times, strategic pit stops, and minimal mistakes. The team’s lightning-fast pit work, often the fastest in the field, proved decisive especially during their final stop, which allowed Zarco to rejoin within striking distance of the lead before regaining it with half an hour to go.

Takahashi reflected: “Well, last year I had already taken this record, and now of course I’m happy I was able to add another victory on top of that. But, honestly more than anything, I’m glad for the way we achieved this win. Of course, both me and Johann are now extremely tired, but we made it to the checkered flag without any issues, and that’s what matters most. 

“I think that in the end it was really tough for him, but I could see the true fighting spirit of a MotoGP rider, and that was great to witness. Finally, of course, I also want to say a big thank you to the whole team for their incredible effort, and to all the fans for their constant support.”

Zarco added: “The Suzuka 8 Hours is a race I enjoy a lot, and being on the best bike, one that is a pleasure to ride, is absolutely great. At the same time, today was so, so hard, in incredibly tough conditions. I was able to keep control on track, as I expected, but recovering between stints was much harder than I thought it would be. Then, in the last hour, a safety car came out and added a few extra laps to Takumi’s final stint, which gave me a little more time to recover. 

When it was the moment for me to go out, another safety car was out and it helped me slowly get back into rhythm, so finally, everything worked out really well. Huge shoutout and thanks to Takumi, who was incredibly strong  in every stint, no matter the heat, he showed no weaknesses. That’s a huge advantage for the team. Our plan was also very good, and making only seven stops made the difference.”

With one round remaining, the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team sits just one point behind championship leaders Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team heading into the Bol d’Or finale next month.