Suzuka victory with Honda lifts Jonathan Rea’s spirits after a difficult spell at Yamaha

Jonathan Rea’s triumph at the Suzuka 8 Hours was far more than just another prestigious victory. Together with Takumi Takahashi and the Honda works team, the six-time Superbike World Champion won the Japanese endurance classic after a flawless performance and spoke openly afterwards about how much this success had meant to him following difficult years in the Superbike World Championship.

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

A breath of fresh air after difficult years with Yamaha

The Northern Irishman became particularly emotional when he spoke about the past few years. Since his move to Yamaha in early 2024, Rea had fallen far short of his own expectations. Injuries, technical problems and a lack of competitiveness characterised the final two years of his World Championship career.

Jonathan Rea

Foto: Gold & Goose

“The past three or four years haven’t been easy mentally,” Rea admitted. This made the relief all the greater at being able to fight for victories again on the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP.

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The 39-year-old couldn’t resist a slight dig at his employer, Yamaha. “This motorbike was incredible,” he said, praising the Honda Fireblade. “I’d almost forgotten what it feels like to overtake other riders on the straights,” remarked the former Yamaha rider.

Jonathan Rea and Honda set the standard at Suzuka

This statement is likely to have been noted with interest in the Yamaha camp. Since switching from Kawasaki to Yamaha, Rea has repeatedly struggled with the R1’s weaknesses, particularly in terms of top speed and acceleration. Ironically, it was on the Honda that the Northern Irishman was once again able to overtake the competition on the straights – an experience he said he had been missing of late.

With a smile, Rea added afterwards: “Thanks for reminding me that I’m still quick.” His closing remarks also showed that this success meant more to him than just a routine guest appearance. “Pole position, fastest lap and the race win – I couldn’t have asked for more.”

Honda setzte die Suzuka-Siegesserie fort

Foto: FIM EWC

The final standings of the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours:

1. Honda HRC (Rea, Takahashi, Chantra), Honda CBR1000RR-R, 188 laps

2. Yamaha Factory Racing (Nakasuga, Miller, Locatelli), Yamaha R1, +1:34.280 minutes

3. BMW Endurance (Reiterberger, Odendaal, van der Mark), BMW M1000RR, +1:44.087

4. YART (Hanika, Fritz, Mercado), Yamaha R1, +3:44.444

5. AutoRace Ube Racing (Uramoto, Guintoli, Ponsson), BMW M1000RR, +3:46.113

6. SERT (Black, Linfoot, Atsumi), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +2 laps

7. Suzuki CN Challenge (Tsuda, Mizuno, Masson), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +2 laps

8. SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda (Kunii, Nagoe, Abe), Honda CBR1000RR-R, +3 laps

9. Honda Asia-Dream Racing (Atiratphuvapat, Pawi, Putra), Honda CBR1000RR-R, +4 laps

10. Team ATJ (Iwata, Suzuki, Kunimine), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +4 laps