Honda HRC secures fifth consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victory as Honda claims its 32nd win
Suzuka CircuitHonda-powered teams claim first and third in the Superstock category
The 47th edition of the FIM Endurance World Championship "Coca-Cola" Suzuka 8 Hours got underway on Sunday at the Suzuka Circuit for Round 3 of the 2026 FIM Endurance World Championship.
The day began with a 45-minute warm-up session held in wet conditions after rain fell between 08:30 and 09:15, giving teams one final opportunity to check their wet-weather setup ahead of the race.
The race got underway at 11:30 am local time under overcast skies, with an air temperature of 23°C and the track still wet from the morning rain and was heavily influenced by intermittent rain and several lengthy safety car periods. Honda HRC's race strategy gradually shifted towards completing the race with Takumi Takahashi and Jonathan Rea, both able to rely on extensive experience in similar conditions. Somkiat Chantra had shown very competitive pace throughout the dry sessions but had not had the opportunity to gain experience in these mixed and wet conditions. Making his Suzuka 8 Hours debut, the Thai rider nevertheless made an important contribution to the team's overall effort throughout the race week.
Starting from pole position, Takumi Takahashi made a strong start aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP #30 and established himself among the front runners from the opening laps.
Honda HRC completed the first four hours with two pit stops, with Takahashi ending his first 33-lap stint in the lead before handing over to Jonathan Rea. Rea consolidated Honda HRC's lead until the end of lap 66, when he handed the bike back to Takahashi.
At the end of the fourth hour, Takumi Takahashi pitted on lap 92 to hand the Honda #30 over to Jonathan Rea once again, with Honda HRC continuing to lead the Suzuka 8 Hours.
With the rain easing but the track still wet and conditions remaining very tricky, Takahashi also put all his experience and speed to good use, continuing to control Honda HRC's advantage at the front.
At the end of the race, heavy rain returned, while the fading daylight added a further challenge for the riders in the closing stages of the race. With 34 minutes remaining, the deployment of two safety cars on lap 179 effectively settled the race, preserving Takahashi's advantage. Honda HRC completed188 lap-race to secure its fifth consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victory. The victory marks Takahashi's eighth Suzuka 8 Hours win, his fifth consecutive success in the event, and Rea's third victory at Suzuka.
Honda also enjoyed a strong showing from its non-permanent EWC entries at Suzuka, with SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda finishing eighth, Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo securing ninth place, and Team ATJ with NTT docomo Business completing the top 10.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France's final result of 26th place at the Suzuka 8 Hours did not reflect the team's true performance after a mechanical issue ended what had been a promising race. Before the setback, the Honda CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP #5 had consistently run inside the top five, demonstrating the pace to fight at the front throughout the event.
Corentin Perolari made an excellent start from sixth on the grid for F.C.C. TSR Honda France, climbing to fourth within the opening 30 minutes before the first safety car interrupted the race. Once the action resumed, the Frenchman remained firmly in contention at the front before making the team's first scheduled pit stop after 27 laps, handing the Honda CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP #5 to John McPhee while running fifth.
McPhee rejoined in 11th position and quickly fought his way back into the top 10 before a second safety car was deployed. After the restart, McPhee continued his strong pace before handing over to Alan Techer, who maintained the team's momentum by moving up to seventh place.
Shortly after the fourth hour began, a mechanical issue forced Techer back to the pits, costing the team valuable time. Perolari rejoined in 36th place, leaving the Honda #5 with a lot of ground to make up.
Despite the setback, the team worked their way back to 26th by the finish. Although the final result does not reflect the performance shown throughout the week, F.C.C. TSR Honda France demonstrated its true potential in every condition with all three riders consistently showed the pace to challenge for a top-five finish.
Honda #5 now turns its full attention to the season finale at the Bol d'Or, determined to convert its potential into the result its efforts deserve.
Tati Team AVA6 Racing's race came to an early end after Mike Di Meglio suffered a mechanical problem during the opening half hour. Despite returning to the pits, the team was ultimately forced to retire and abandon the Suzuka 8 Hours.
Honda CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP-powered teams on the podium. NCXX RACING with RIDERS CLUB produced an outstanding performance, climbing from second in class to take the Superstock lead before half distance and eventually securing the category victory with an impressive 14th-place overall finish.
Meanwhile, Wójcik Racing Team #77 SST enjoyed another competitive Suzuka 8 Hours, progressing from seventh to fourth in class during the opening stint before moving into podium contention. The Honda #77 ultimately finished third in the Superstock category, earning valuable championship points.
The 2026 FIM EWC championship final will take place on September 19 at the Bol d'Or, on the Paul Ricard circuit (France).
‘‘The first race is over, and unfortunately it wasn't the result we were hoping for. Despite that, we've shown good pace all week in every type of condition. Whether it was wet, mixed, or dry, the bike worked really well and we were competitive throughout.We put together a very strong weekend overall, including a solid qualifying performance. Unfortunately, we suffered a technical issue towards the end of the race, which prevented us from achieving the result we deserved.Now the priority is to understand exactly what happened, learn from it, and make sure we come back even stronger. We'll work hard to be fully prepared and fight for a good result at the Bol d'Or.’’
‘‘The first race is over, and unfortunately it wasn't the result we were hoping for. Despite that, we've shown good pace all week in every type of condition. Whether it was wet, mixed, or dry, the bike worked really well and we were competitive throughout.We put together a very strong weekend overall, including a solid qualifying performance. Unfortunately, we suffered a technical issue towards the end of the race, which prevented us from achieving the result we deserved.Now the priority is to understand exactly what happened, learn from it, and make sure we come back even stronger. We'll work hard to be fully prepared and fight for a good result at the Bol d'Or.’’
“I'm pleased with how the week went overall. We qualified well and showed strong pace from the start. The track was wet, but I got away well and really enjoyed battling with riders like Jack Miller and Michael van der Mark. Fighting with riders of that level confirms that both I and the team have the speed to be competitive. Once again, a top-five finish was within reach, but unfortunately a technical issue ended our chances. That's part of endurance racing and we have to accept it. Now our focus turns to the Bol d'Or. Alan and I know we have the pace, John will be experiencing the race for the first time, and we'll be working hard to finish the season with a strong result.”
“I'm pleased with how the week went overall. We qualified well and showed strong pace from the start. The track was wet, but I got away well and really enjoyed battling with riders like Jack Miller and Michael van der Mark. Fighting with riders of that level confirms that both I and the team have the speed to be competitive. Once again, a top-five finish was within reach, but unfortunately a technical issue ended our chances. That's part of endurance racing and we have to accept it. Now our focus turns to the Bol d'Or. Alan and I know we have the pace, John will be experiencing the race for the first time, and we'll be working hard to finish the season with a strong result.”
"It's a real shame for the whole team because we didn't get the result that all the hard work and effort throughout the week deserved. The positives are clear, though. All three riders showed strong pace, and we proved we had the speed to fight for a top-five finish.We were competitive in every condition—wet, dry and mixed—and the bike worked well throughout the weekend. Unfortunately, endurance racing doesn't always reward the effort you put in, and this time we were hit by a technical issue.We'll take the positives, keep building on the pace we've shown, and head to the Bol d'Or determined to finish the season with the result the team deserves."
"It's a real shame for the whole team because we didn't get the result that all the hard work and effort throughout the week deserved. The positives are clear, though. All three riders showed strong pace, and we proved we had the speed to fight for a top-five finish.We were competitive in every condition—wet, dry and mixed—and the bike worked well throughout the weekend. Unfortunately, endurance racing doesn't always reward the effort you put in, and this time we were hit by a technical issue.We'll take the positives, keep building on the pace we've shown, and head to the Bol d'Or determined to finish the season with the result the team deserves."
