News Honda and Zarco win the Suzuka 8 Hours 2025.

In an endurance event that tested both men and machines to the limit, the official Honda HRC team once again showed its superiority by winning the Suzuka 8 Hours 2025. The duo of MotoGP rider Johann Zarco and multiple event winner Takumi Takahashi triumphed in extremely wet conditions, marking a historic victory for the Japanese manufacturer.

Honda HRC's success was no accident. In qualifying, Zarco had already set the tone by winning pole position with a spectacular lap. He followed this up in the race, dominating for much of the event. Initially lined up with three riders, the HRC team experienced logistical chaos: Luca Marini was seriously injured in testing, then Iker Lecuona also out of racing condition, and finally Xavi Vierge, despite taking part in the tests, failed to obtain a work visa, leaving him lined up only as a tourist. This forced Zarco and Takahashi to share the entire load, doing more stints than the competition. Despite the stifling heat, they managed their energy and race strategy with surgical precision, maintaining a steady, fast pace.
The Frenchman had already demonstrated his potential in practice, setting a record time of 2'05 645.

Their main rival was the Yamaha Racing Team, making a remarkable comeback as a factory team. Comprising Jack Miller, Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Andrea Locatelli, the Yamaha team put constant pressure on the leaders. The two teams engaged in a high-intensity duel, with fluctuating gaps, notably following the intervention of a safety car which reduced the gaps. However, Honda maintained its advantage, winning by 34 seconds. For Yamaha, second place is a promising result and an excellent comeback.

The battle for the podium was also memorable. French Suzuki team Yoshimura SERT Motul took third place after an impressive comeback. Despite an early crash for Dan Linfoot, the trio of Gregg Black, Dan Linfoot and Cocoro Atsumi showed great resilience to climb the standings and deny SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda the final podium step.

This Suzuka victory also has major repercussions for the Endurance World Championship (EWC). Championship leader Yamalube YART Yamaha was forced to retire after several crashes, losing valuable points in the process. This allowed other teams to reposition themselves. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, finishing fifth, is now just one point behind the leader ahead of the final race of the season, the Bol d'Or.

This edition of the Suzuka 8 Hours was a demonstration of Honda's strength, with an imperious Johann Zarco taking his second consecutive victory, and Takumi Takahashi consolidating his legendary status with a seventh success.

Image credits: Honda HRC / Yamaha Racing / Suzuki Racing