Performance, strategy, readiness to deal with the unexpected and teamwork: these were the keys to the Honda HRC team's fourth consecutive triumph at the Suzuka 8 Hours. The Japanese manufacturer's 31st in its home race.
The third event on the World Endurance Championship calendar, the "race of races" on the Suzuka roller coaster got underway at 11:30 a.m. local time, in extremely hot conditions, the temperature in fact reaching 37ºC, and with 55 teams lined up on the starting grid. It was the Honda HRC team's CBR 1000RR-R SP that powered away from pole position with Takumi Takahashi, who immediately took the lead in the race. He was then overtaken by the SDG Team HARC-PRO rider, Honda Yuki Kunii on the first lap, but Takahashi marked the #73 Honda tightly until lap 14, when he regained the lead.
Taking over from his teammate on lap 27, when the Japanese rider's first stint ended, Johann Zarco re-entered the track in first position administering a lead of about 13 seconds over the #21 Yamaha R1 piloted by Andrea Locatelli. It was a lead that remained more or less unchanged even during Takahashi's next stint, as he rode the Honda from lap 55 to lap 83, when he re-entered, as last of the front runners, to hand over the bike again to his teammate. Zarco took the lead at the start of hour four, with a 29-second margin over Katsuyuki Nakasuga and the #21 Yamaha, which he steadily widened to a gap of more than 40 seconds over his direct pursuer when he again alternated with Takahashi on lap 111.
With a smooth and unblemished race, the Japanese and Frenchman continued to dictate the pace even during the fifth and sixth stints, boasting a margin of 20 to 30 seconds over their closest of rivals. A gap that was negated, however, by the entry of two safety cars on the track in Takahashi's next stints. After a very quick tyre change and refuelling, which again allowed the Honda HRC team to make the fastest pit stop of the race, Zarco had to wait for the safety car to complete its lap before re-entering the track behind Locatelli, with a gap of about 15 seconds.With about half an hour to go, however, the two-time Moto2 world champion retook the lead after the Yamaha rider pitted and led Honda to victory. It was the Frenchman's second consecutive win and Takahashi's seventh overall, the winningest rider in the history of the event.
So much satisfaction shines through in Takahashi's words, "As we were only two and with these extreme weather conditions, which I don't think I've ever experienced before, I knew it would be extremely tough, and it was. In the last stint, we were physically exhausted, but we both pushed hard to give it our all until the end. In my last stint, I was able to do some strong laps, still in the 2'06 range, but, aware of the opponents coming from behind, I focused on maintaining the pace and getting the bike back to safety. Johann really gave everything in the final part. For that, and for his incredible effort, I am really grateful to him. How does it feel to be the rider who has won the most times at Suzuka? I already achieved this record last year, and now I'm obviously happy that I was able to add another win. But honestly, more than anything, I'm happy with the way we achieved this success: both Johann and I are very tired, but we made it to the checkered flag without any problems, and that's what matters most. I think it was really tough for him at the end, but I saw the true fighting spirit of a MotoGP rider, and it was nice to be able to see that. Finally, I want to thank the whole team for their incredible efforts and all the fans for their constant support."
Speaking about his race, Zarco said, "The Suzuka 8 Hours is a race that I really enjoy, and to be on the best bike, a bike that is enjoyable to ride, is absolutely fantastic. At the same time, it was a very very tough race in incredibly difficult conditions. I was able to keep control on the 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 more laps to Takumi's final stint, giving me a little more time to recover. When it was time to go out, another safety car came out and helped me slowly get back on track. So in the end it all worked out for the best. A big thank you goes to Takumi, who was incredibly strong: in every stint, regardless of the heat, he showed no weakness. This is a huge plus for the team. Our schedule was also great and making only seven stops made all the difference. How was it to complete the last night stint? Really great. Last year Takumi did the final stint, but this time we stuck to the original plan, which was for me to do it. It felt great, and once the temperature dropped a bit, the bike became more manageable. Of course, having a gap to manage, I had about thirty seconds in the last half hour, gives you some confidence. I also started admiring all the colors, and the grandstand along the straight was really beautiful. In other sections, the track was very dark, and even though I wanted to go faster than 2'09, it wasn't possible. But there was no need anyway, so I enjoyed the race to the finish."
Team manager Teruaki Matsubara was also excited about the result: "It's really great to have won, we are very happy. First of all, I want to thank our two riders because they worked incredibly hard and did a really remarkable job in extreme conditions. I'm also very grateful to all the team members who took care of the riders - it was a true demonstration of teamwork. Once again, our pit stops were the fastest, and that also made a difference. All our preparation clearly paid off today. It wasn't easy, but in the end everything came together. It was a really enjoyable and rewarding experience."