Honda HRC inside the top three in all five sessions on 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours opening test day
The 47th edition of the FIM Endurance World Championship “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race, scheduled for Sunday 5 July, began on Tuesday with the first of two test days at Suzuka Circuit.
Honda HRC riders Takumi Takahashi, Jonathan Rea and Somkiat Chantra made full use of the day’s five sessions as the team worked through its planned programme ahead of this weekend’s race.
With the Suzuka 8 Hours taking place one month earlier than usual in 2026, conditions proved milder than those traditionally experienced during race week. Air temperatures remained below 30°C, with moderate humidity and intermittent cloud cover. The riders were able to complete their planned work in stable and consistent conditions.
Honda HRC featured consistently among the frontrunners throughout the opening test day, finishing inside the top three in all five sessions. The team set the fastest time in both Session 1 and Session 2 before recording third, second and third places respectively during the afternoon outings. The team’s best lap of the day, a 2’05.497, was recorded during the fifth and final session.
Throughout the day, Takahashi, Rea and Chantra completed multiple runs as the team concentrated on race preparation work. For Chantra, who joined the Honda HRC line-up in place of recovering Johann Zarco, the test provided further mileage aboard the Suzuka-specification CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP as he continues to build experience with the machine and strengthen his understanding of the team and its working procedures.
Honda HRC will return to the track tomorrow for the second and final day of testing.
TOP FIVE — SESSION 1
1. Honda HRC – 2’06.429
2. Yoshimura SERT Motul – 2’06.813
3. BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM – 2’06.997
4. Yamaha Factory Racing Team – 2’07.153
5. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team – 2’07.173
TOP FIVE — SESSION 2
1. Honda HRC – 2’05.999
2. BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM – 2’06.161
3. Yamaha Factory Racing Team – 2’06.439
4. SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda – 2’06.565
5. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team – 2’06.743
TOP FIVE — SESSION 3
1. BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM – 2’05.784
2. Yamaha Factory Racing Team – 2’06.137
3. Honda HRC – 2’06.241
4. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team – 2’06.292
5. F.C.C. TSR Honda France – 2’06.786
TOP FIVE — SESSION 4
1. BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team – 2’05.098
2. Honda HRC – 2’05.608
3. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team – 2’05.613
4. AutoRace Ube Racing Team – 2’06.185
5. Yoshimura SERT Motul – 2’06.225
TOP FIVE — SESSION 5
1. Yamaha Factory Racing Team – 2’04.920
2. BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM – 2’05.448
3. Honda HRC – 2’05.497
4. YART Yamaha Official EWC Team – 2’05.623
5. Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 – 2’05.806
Takumi Takahashi 30
"First of all, I'm happy that we were able to complete the first day without any issues.With Chantra suddenly joining the team as Zarco's replacement, the team put together a plan to give him as much track time as possible on this first day. Following that plan, he was able to do a lot of laps and his pace has been improving smoothly. I don't think there is anything particularly concerning at the moment. As for the bike, I personally am still not yet completely satisfied with it, so I want to continue working to create a bike that is easier for everyone to ride. The week is still long and it has only just begun, so I want to make sure we can prepare a really good machine by the time of the race."
Jonathan Rea 30
"It's nice to be back on track. We quickly settled into a sensible rhythm and gained a better understanding of the bike, although there are still some areas we need to improve, especially in terms of grip at the edge of the tyre. We understand where we need to make progress, and now it's a matter of putting our heads together. Endurance racing is always a compromise between three riders, so we need to find a package that works for everyone, while still taking a step forward to be with the fastest teams. Takumi and I have a similar pace, while Somkiat is continuing to build his speed as he hasn't had much testing here. By tomorrow, all three riders should be at a good level. We still have another day of testing, then some time before official practice and, of course, the race itself. For the first day, it's very much a work in progress."
Somkiat Chantra 30
"The first day for me was not so bad. I tried to learn more about the track and also to understand the bike set-up. It was a positive day and I completed some longer stints, which were good for me. The pace was also quite good, although my best lap is still not where I want it to be. We still have another test day tomorrow, I will keep pushing and I hope we can make another step forward. Let's see what we can do tomorrow."
Location Information
SUZUKA 8HOURS ESSENTIAL* Name: SUZUKA CIRCUIT Location: 7992 Ino-Cho, Suzuka-shi, Mie-ken 510-0295, Japan Track length: 5.821 kilometres Race distance: 8 hours Official website Suzuka Circuit Suzuka Circuit Operated by Honda-owned Mobilityland, Suzuka features a unique figure-of-eight layout and presents a considerable challenge for riders thanks to its wide variety of corners.… read more.
7992 Inoucho, Suzuka, Mie, Japan - View in Google Maps
Records
| Suzuka 8 Hours POLE POSITION RECORD | 2'04.290s Honda HRC - Johann Zarco - Honda CBR1000RR-R SP (2025) |
| Suzuka 8 Hours RACE RECORD | 2'06.604s YAMAHA RACING TEAM - Andrea Locatelli - Yamaha YZF-R1 (2025) |
