The factory Honda team dominated the first half of the Suzuka race, leading for eight hours thanks to the impressive speed and fuel efficiency of the CBR 1000 RR-R, which allowed riders Johann Salko and Takahashi Territory to pull ahead. Although Takahashi initially lost the lead to Yuki Kuni on the opening lap, he seized an opportunity to regain it when Kuni slowed near the end of the first hour.
From then on, Honda’s factory bikes maintained their lead, steadily increasing their advantage despite intense competition between Takahashi and Zarco on the hot and challenging Suzuka Circuit. Honda’s No. 30 bike held a 15-second lead during the second and third stints, with Takahashi extending his time in the saddle before pitting in the third hour. Zarco then returned to the track 30 minutes before the halfway mark, quickly widening his lead with a series of rapid laps before coming in for a pit stop.
Yamaha emerged as Honda’s closest rival during the first half, even after the 21st Yamaha team struggled early but eventually moved up when Andrea Locatelli took second place following the first round of pit stops. Jack Miller helped hold onto Yamaha’s strong position. Meanwhile, third place was held by the No. 73 Hark Pro Honda team of Kunii, Kate Abe, and Teppei Nagoe, trailing Honda’s factory bike by over a minute.
Takuma Kunimine secured a spot among the top five with the No. 40 Team ATJ Honda. Meanwhile, the No. 76 UBE Racing Team BMW, which started near the front, recovered to sixth place despite some setbacks during the race. Naomichi Uramoto initially dropped to seventh but fought back alongside teammate Davy Todd, and both riders helped bring their bikes back onto the podium during the third and fourth hours. The No. 76 BMW was the leading BMW entry, especially after a factory BMW bike crashed midway through the race.
Michael van der Mark had been pushing BMW’s No. 37 bike up to third place but suffered a crash at the final chicane when his M1000RR footrest broke. Although he managed to get the bike back to the pits for his teammate Marx Reiter Burger to continue, BMW fell to 12th place by the end of the third lap, giving Honda the race lead. The YART team also faced challenges when Jason O’Halloran crashed the No. 7 Yamaha in the final chicane while navigating traffic, forcing two garage visits for repairs and dropping the leading Endurance World Championship team out of the top 20.
The first team to retire was the frequent winner FCC TSR Honda, which withdrew after just 27 laps due to engine trouble.
Fan Take: This race highlights Honda’s exceptional engineering and strategy, setting a high bar for endurance racing excellence. For fans, it signals thrilling battles ahead as manufacturers push the limits of speed, reliability, and teamwork in one of the sport’s most demanding events.
