MIE, Japan, August 7, 2022 – Team HRC (Tetsuta Nagashima / Takumi Takahashi / Iker Lecuona) won the 2022 FIM*1 Endurance World Championship 43rd “Coca Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race (Suzuka 8 Hours) held at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie, on Sunday, August 7. Team HRC’s win marks Honda’s 28th Suzuka 8 Hours victory, the first since 2014.
Team HRC returned to the Suzuka 8 Hours as Honda’s factory team*2 in 2018 after a decade-long absence. The team was second in 2018, and third in 2019.
Team HRC set the fastest lap time in Friday’s timed qualifying sessions, proceeding easily into Saturday’s Top 10 Trial, which was changed to a conventional Top 10 qualifying session at the last minute. Tetsuta Nagashima set the fastest lap time of 2 min 4.934 s to secure pole position for the team.
Takumi Takahashi was Team HRC’s starting rider, and despite losing the lead at the start, regained the top spot on Lap 10. From that point onwards, Tetsuta Nagashima and Iker Lecuona rode solid stints to maintain a comfortable gap with the closest competitor. At 7:32pm, after 214 laps, Team HRC crossed the finish line to win from pole position.
This win marks Takumi Takahashi’s fourth Suzuka 8 Hours win, and a first for Tetsuta Nagashima and Iker Lecuona.