After the Suzuka victory: Jonathan Rea can’t resist a dig at Yamaha

With its fifth consecutive victory, Honda HRC has impressively cemented its dominance at the Suzuka 8 Hours. The Honda works team prevailed over the Yamaha and BMW works teams at the traditional endurance classic on the Suzuka Circuit. For Honda, this was already their 32nd overall victory in the prestigious endurance race.

The changeable weather conditions, with intermittent rain and several long safety car periods, made the race a strategic challenge. Honda therefore decided early on to contest the 188 race laps exclusively with Takumi Takahashi and Jonathan Rea. Somkiat Chantra, who had stepped in at short notice to replace the injured Johann Zarco, did not feature in the race despite good performance in practice, as he lacked experience in the difficult mixed conditions.

Takahashi made history on the factory Fireblade

Takumi Takahashi started from pole position and remained among the front-runners right from the start. After the first driver changes, Jonathan Rea took the lead and controlled the race with several flawless stints. Although Yamaha works rider Jack Miller managed to close the gap at one stage, Rea responded with consistently fast laps and maintained a steady lead.

Takahashi also mastered the final stint with ease. When heavy rain set in again in the closing stages and the safety car was deployed 34 minutes before the end of the race, Honda’s fifth consecutive victory was all but sealed.

“First of all, I’m really pleased that we were able to finish the race safely despite the difficult conditions,” commented Takahashi. “Unfortunately, Chantra wasn’t able to ride. Johnny and I contested the race together, and Chantra supported us throughout the week. Johnny did an incredible job today. He’s a multiple world champion and was incredibly fast and consistent. The team were fantastic too. Every tyre change, every pit stop and every decision was perfect. This victory belongs to all of us.”

For Takahashi, this was already his eighth victory at the Suzuka 8 Hours – more than any other rider before him.

How the Suzuka victory brought relief to Jonathan Rea

Jonathan Rea was also visibly moved after his third Suzuka victory. “I’m so, so happy about this win. In these conditions, you couldn’t afford to make a single mistake. The weather was constantly changing and the pressure was enormous. But the team did an incredible job and the bike was fantastic.”

The success was particularly moving for the Northern Irishman from a personal perspective too. After difficult years with Yamaha in the World Superbike Championship, the weekend reminded him of what he is still capable of.

“The past three or four years haven’t been easy mentally. But this bike was incredible. I’d almost forgotten what it feels like to overtake other riders on the straights,” said Rea, praising the top speed of the factory Honda and thereby taking a subtle dig at Yamaha, as on the R1, Rea had often been easy prey for his rivals over the past two years. “Thank you for reminding me that I’m still fast. Pole position, fastest lap and the race win – I couldn’t ask for more,” said Rea.

Chantra just a spectator: Hoping for another chance

Although Somkiat Chantra didn’t get to race, the Thai rider also looked back positively on his first Suzuka weekend. “I’m absolutely delighted for Jonathan and Takumi. This week has been a brilliant experience and an important lesson for me. Of course, it’s a shame I couldn’t race. Nevertheless, I enjoyed every minute and hope I’ll get another chance in the future.”

With its fifth consecutive victory at Suzuka, Honda HRC impressively confirmed its exceptional status at the Japanese endurance classic. Above all, the experience of Takumi Takahashi and Jonathan Rea, combined with a flawless team performance, proved to be a decisive factor in their success under the difficult weather conditions.