Following yesterday’s combined qualifying sessions, five Honda-powered teams secured spots in the Top 10 Trial, which determine the starting grid for Sunday’s 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race.
Before the Top 10 Trial, the free practice session was held on Saturday 20th from 12:15pm 3pm, where Team HRC with Japan Post (Takumi Takahashi, Teppei Nagoe and Johann Zarco) clocked the third fastest time at 2’07.181.
Only Takahashi and Zarco took part in the free practice session in preparation for the Top 10 Trial as they were the two selected riders. Takahashi and Zarco finished with best times of 2’07.753 and 2’07.348 respectively.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France, with Mike di Meglio, Josh Hook and Alan Techer, finished in fourth place with a lap time of 02:07.468 followed by SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda.
At the Top 10 Trial, the first rider on the track was Kazuki Ito on the Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA with a time of 02:07.453 and with this result, he placed his team in the tenth-grid position.
The next team was F.C.C. TSR Honda France with Techer. The Frenchman was very happy with his lap time, as he achieved his best lap of the week at 02:06.836. Techer’s teammate, Hook, wasn’t able to improve on the Frenchman’s time, and F.C.C. TSR Honda France secured the eighth-place grid position.
SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda, with rider Naomichi Uramoto, was the next team to take the track. However, Uramoto’s lap time was not better than his teammate Yuki Kunii’s, who had clocked a time of 02:06.286, securing the sixth position.
Taiga Hada from the Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing team clocked a lap time of 02:07.165. With teammate Kohta Nozane having a crash, Hada’s time placed the Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing team in fifth place.
Team HRC with Japan Post’s Takumi Takahashi, who holds the all-Japan Suzuka track record of 2:03.592, thrilled all the crowd. Takahashi set an impressive time of 2:05.621, but his teammate, MotoGP rider Johann Zarco, clocked an even faster time of 2:05.531, ultimately securing third place on the starting grid for tomorrow.
Team HRC with Japan Post, very satisfied with its results so far, is ready to chase its third consecutive victory in Japan’s round.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France, confident with the last works on the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP race settings, is approaching the 45th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race with determination.