Team HRC wins Suzuka 8H by more than a lap, giving Honda its first win in eight years, 28th total
Team HRC (Tetsuta Nagashima / Takumi Takahashi / Iker Lecuona) won the 2022 Suzuka 8 Hours, marking Honda’s 28th Suzuka 8 Hours victory and the first since 2014.
Team HRC returned to the Suzuka 8 Hours as Honda’s factory team in 2018 after a decade-long absence. The team was second in 2018, and third in 2019.
Team HRC set the fastest lap time in Friday’s timed qualifying sessions, proceeding easily into Saturday’s Top 10 Trial, which was changed to a conventional Top 10 qualifying session at the last minute. Tetsuta Nagashima set the fastest lap time of 2 min 4.934 s to secure pole position for the team.
Takumi Takahashi was Team HRC’s starting rider, and despite losing the lead at the start, regained the top spot on Lap 10. From that point onwards, Tetsuta Nagashima and Iker Lecuona rode solid stints to maintain a comfortable gap with the closest competitor. At 7:32pm, after 214 laps, Team HRC crossed the finish line to win from pole position.
This win marks Takumi Takahashi’s fourth Suzuka 8 Hours win, and a first for Tetsuta Nagashima and Iker Lecuona.
Team HRC set lap records in Qualifying and Top 10 Qualifying to take pole position. Takahashi, Nagashima and Lecuona all lapped at impressive pace throughout the race, lapping all other teams, demonstrating the return of a strong Honda.
Race Results
Pos. | No. | Team | Bike | Laps | Total time | Gap 1st | Gap prev | B. Lap | In lap | T. Pit | Total pit time |
1 | 33 | Team HRC | Honda | 214 | 08:02:09.131 | – | – | 2:06.934 | 113 | 7 | 4:53.093 |
2 | 10 | Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H | Kawasaki | 213 | 08:02:15.180 | 1 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:07.177 | 90 | 7 | 5:11.416 |
3 | 1 | Yoshimura SERT Motul | Suzuki | 212 | 08:03:31.961 | 2 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:08.157 | 30 | 8 | 5:48.841 |
4 | 95 | S-PULSE DREAM RACING – ITEC | Suzuki | 210 | 08:02:54.775 | 4 Lp. | 2 Lp. | 2:08.558 | 84 | 8 | 6:59.018 |
5 | 104 | TOHO Racing | Honda | 210 | 08:03:42.462 | 4 Lp. | 47.687 | 2:08.833 | 109 | 8 | 7:58.353 |
6 | 72 | Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA | Honda | 210 | 08:04:12.555 | 4 Lp. | 30.093 | 2:08.872 | 176 | 8 | 6:34.959 |
7 | 7 | YART – Yamaha Official Team EWC | Yamaha | 209 | 08:03:40.730 | 5 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:07.781 | 183 | 10 | 16:44.115 |
8 | 40 | Team ATJ with JAPAN POST | Honda | 208 | 08:02:10.855 | 6 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:10.010 | 11 | 7 | 7:59.652 |
9 | 50 | TEAM KODAMA | Yamaha | 208 | 08:02:29.010 | 6 Lp. | 18.155 | 2:09.402 | 141 | 8 | 9:40.932 |
10 | 5 | F.C.C. TSR Honda France | Honda | 208 | 08:02:33.132 | 6 Lp. | 4.122 | 2:08.851 | 10 | 8 | 11:18.410 |
11 | 88 | Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA | Honda | 208 | 08:03:30.441 | 6 Lp. | 57.309 | 2:10.029 | 56 | 8 | 8:14.058 |
12 | 54 | GOSHI Racing | Honda | 206 | 08:03:16.441 | 8 Lp. | 2 Lp. | 2:10.811 | 111 | 7 | 7:06.028 |
13 | 64 | Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team | Kawasaki | 205 | 08:02:17.004 | 9 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:10.283 | 11 | 8 | 8:52.118 |
14 | 44 | SANMEI Team TARO PLUSONE | BMW | 204 | 08:02:36.056 | 10 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:10.150 | 151 | 9 | 9:53.058 |
15 | 11 | WEBIKE SRC KAWASAKI FRANCE | Kawasaki | 203 | 08:03:12.199 | 11 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:10.215 | 157 | 7 | 1:07:16.823 |
16 | 806 | NCXX RACING with RIDERS CLUB | Yamaha | 202 | 08:03:03.945 | 12 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:09.968 | 12 | 7 | 19:12.958 |
17 | 85 | TONE RT SYNCEDGE 4413 BMW | BMW | 202 | 08:03:22.798 | 12 Lp. | 18.853 | 2:11.046 | 10 | 9 | 17:03.450 |
18 | 52 | TERAMOTO@J-TRIP Racing | Suzuki | 202 | 08:03:54.412 | 12 Lp. | 31.614 | 2:13.762 | 9 | 7 | 6:37.134 |
19 | 60 | Honda Hamamatsu ESCARGOT RT | Honda | 202 | 08:04:00.280 | 12 Lp. | 5.868 | 2:14.072 | 28 | 7 | 7:34.170 |
20 | 3 | KRP SANYOKOGYO&RS-ITOH | Kawasaki | 200 | 08:03:30.741 | 14 Lp. | 2 Lp. | 2:09.857 | 152 | 8 | 19:29.234 |
21 | 99 | ADVANCE MC & FOC CLAYMORE EDGE with DOGHOUSE | Suzuki | 198 | 08:03:23.882 | 16 Lp. | 2 Lp. | 2:16.229 | 125 | 8 | 8:57.668 |
22 | 27 | TransMapRacing with ACE CAFE | Suzuki | 198 | 08:04:22.582 | 16 Lp. | 58.700 | 2:15.277 | 9 | 8 | 9:06.825 |
23 | 15 | TEAM HANSHIN RIDING SCHOOL | Kawasaki | 195 | 08:04:12.508 | 19 Lp. | 3 Lp. | 2:13.088 | 61 | 8 | 18:55.189 |
24 | 78 | Honda Blue Helmets MSC Kumamoto & Asaka | Honda | 193 | 08:02:36.186 | 21 Lp. | 2 Lp. | 2:16.899 | 12 | 10 | 13:31.896 |
25 | 9 | Murayama. Honda Dream. RT | Honda | 193 | 08:04:07.774 | 21 Lp. | 1:31.588 | 2:09.964 | 76 | 9 | 36:04.184 |
26 | 82 | Team BIZENSEIKI Kirimoto Techno Works | Kawasaki | 192 | 08:03:08.113 | 22 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:14.401 | 11 | 9 | 22:14.403 |
27 | 74 | AKENO SPEED.YAMAHA | Yamaha | 188 | 08:03:15.329 | 26 Lp. | 4 Lp. | 2:10.603 | 11 | 7 | 1:50:18.095 |
28 | 45 | YSS Mercury with TKm | Kawasaki | 187 | 08:04:26.530 | 27 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:20.604 | 44 | 10 | 21:54.292 |
29 | 89 | CLUB NEXT & Honda Dream TAKASAKI | Honda | 184 | 08:02:41.789 | 30 Lp. | 3 Lp. | 2:13.602 | 9 | 7 | 40:31.117 |
30 | 25 | Honda Sofukai Suzuka Racing Team | Honda | 183 | 08:03:52.396 | 31 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:08.626 | 131 | 6 | 1:52:48.451 |
31 | 112 | Honda Soyukai Tochigi Racing & Dream RT | Honda | 173 | 08:03:45.145 | 41 Lp. | 10 Lp. | 2:15.677 | 71 | 9 | 1:04:34.212 |
32 | 71 | Team MATSUNAGA KDC & YSP NAGOYA KITA | Yamaha | 170 | 08:02:26.932 | 44 Lp. | 3 Lp. | 2:17.666 | 47 | 11 | 1:02:57.845 |
33 | 69 | Auto Race UBE KEN RACING YIC | Kawasaki | 169 | 08:02:54.535 | 45 Lp. | 1 Lp. | 2:14.700 | 52 | 10 | 1:19:54.598 |
34 | 38 | K’sWORKS RACING | Yamaha | 165 | 08:03:16.327 | 49 Lp. | 4 Lp. | 2:16.384 | 11 | 9 | 1:15:09.525 |
NOT CLASSIFIED (Requirements : Must cross the finishing line or 75% of number laps of leader = 161 Lp.) | |||||||||||
35 | 42 | Shinshu activation project Team NAGANO | BMW | 160 | 08:03:55.004 | 54 Lp. | 5 Lp. | 2:13.748 | 9 | 7 | 2:08:33.360 |
36 | 61 | Team de”LIGHT | Ducati | 155 | 08:02:18.813 | 59 Lp. | 5 Lp. | 2:15.337 | 12 | 6 | 2:49:38.160 |
37 | 17 | Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing | Honda | 153 | 08:04:00.350 | 61 Lp. | 2 Lp. | 2:08.323 | 71 | 7 | 2:24:51.120 |
38 | 70 | OGURA CLUTCH ORC with RIDE IN | Yamaha | 149 | 08:03:27.137 | 65 Lp. | 4 Lp. | 2:13.467 | 112 | 7 | 2:09:33.506 |
39 | 31 | Hamamatsu Team TITAN | Suzuki | 144 | 08:02:53.466 | 70 Lp. | 5 Lp. | 2:13.015 | 56 | 6 | 2:57:21.562 |
40 | 41 | IRF with AZURLANE | Yamaha | 144 | 08:04:29.244 | 70 Lp. | 1:35.778 | 2:17.463 | 39 | 6 | 2:09:52.664 |
41 | 2 | EVA RT 01 Webike TRICKSTAR | Kawasaki | 142 | 08:02:10.411 | 72 Lp. | 2 Lp. | 2:09.788 | 15 | 9 | 2:31:09.336 |
42 | 34 | Honda Ryokuyoukai Kumamoto Racing | Honda | 139 | 08:02:54.964 | 75 Lp. | 3 Lp. | 2:14.719 | 97 | 4 | 3:22:25.009 |
43 | 73 | SDG Honda Racing | Honda | 139 | 08:04:04.194 | 75 Lp. | 1:09.230 | 2:08.828 | 91 | 7 | 2:55:58.391 |
44 | 51 | T.MOTOKIDS TAKADA I.W. NAC | Yamaha | 89 | 08:02:47.845 | 125 Lp. | 50 Lp. | 2:16.265 | 9 | 5 | 6:55:56.998 |
RETIRED | |||||||||||
45 | 37 | BMW MOTORRAD WORLD END TEAM | BMW | 96 | 03:46:58.843 | 118 Lp. | – | 2:09.887 | 11 | 4 | 2:18.317 |
B. Lap : 2:06.934 (165.0 km/h), (No.33) T. NAGASHIMA |
RECORDS
Qualifying: Team HRC – Tetsuta Nagashima: 2’04.934s (2022)
Race: Kawasaki Racing Team – Jonathan Rea 2’06.805s (2019)
Private: Tetsuta Nagashima 33
I’m simply happy! I’m glad to have had the opportunity to be involved in developing the CBR1000RR-RSP in 2021 and 2022, realize its potential, and show the world. Honda’s engineers have tested the bike over and over, and were rewarded by our Suzuka 8 Hours victory. I am grateful to be a part of the development, and grew with each test we did. I believe we demonstrated a strong Honda at the first Suzuka 8 Hours in three years.
Takumi Takahashi 30
I’ve always been unhappy with the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours, so I’m glad we won today. I’m relieved that I managed to play my part, as Nagashima developed the bike, and I had to become accustomed to it and bring out its potential, otherwise I would hold him back. This was the first Suzuka 8 Hours for Iker [Lecuona], and he did a great job. The HRC team gave us solid support including pit work. I am grateful to everyone involved. This is my fourth Suzuka 8 Hours victory, and if I get another chance, I will aim for the record of five victories held by Toru Ukawa.
Private: Iker Lecuona 33
I am really, really, really happy to win my first Suzuka 8 Hours. It felt amazing when Nagashima was met by the checkered flag. Everything has gone well since the Suzuka tests, the bike developed by Honda and Nagashima was superb, and I think I managed to bring out the performance of the bike. I was worried when the safety car entered the track that I would lose the gap our other two riders had built up, but we got through fine. I am grateful to the best team and my teammates. If I have the opportunity next year, I’d like to be back at Suzuka.
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
POLE POSITION RECORD | 2'04.934s Team HRC - Tetsuta Nagashima - Honda CBR1000RR-R SP (2022) |
RACE RECORD | 2'06.805s Kawasaki Racing Team - Jonathan Rea - Kawasaki ZX10RR (2019) |