News 8H Suzuka : Zarco (MotoGP) continues to shine !

In perpetual search of benchmarks in MotoGP, more was expected of Johann Zarco on his n30 Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP on the occasion of his 1ʳᵉ Endurance participation. And he didn't disappoint, to say the least...

Professor Zarco learned fast!

Johann Zarco knew he was under scrutiny, despite the leniency that would have been conceded in the event of an average result. Among last weekend's 46 EWC entrants, the HRC- Japan Post team quickly came into its own. As part of the trio, the Cannes native put an end to 35 years (1989) of infrcutueuse for the French winners of the Suzuka 8 Hours! Let's give Dominique Sarron and Alex Vieira their due. Zarco, on the other hand, was making his first appearance in the event.

But that doesn't mean he wasn't aiming for victory, quite the contrary: “Concentrating on winning allows you to rediscover that attention to detail and the tension of doing things right. After that, you have to bring it back to MotoGP [...] The objective is victory and I hope to be fast enough”, he declared. Objective achieved!

The “12” is now just a bad memory

“12” as in his best race result of the season at the French and Qatari Grands Prix. 12, too, for his points tally in the MotoGP standings. The Suzuka 8 Hours were therefore more than welcome.

Johann Zarco, winner of the Suzuka 8 Hours 2024
I feel good because when you set yourself a goal and you win, it's a great relief,” confided the Honda rider after the Suzuka 8 Hours. I feel happy, proud and very satisfied.

It has to be said that the Frenchman's timing couldn't have been better... Alongside Takumi Takahashi, who became the record holder for victories in the event, and Teppei Nagoe, Team Honda HRC won the Japanese round for the third time in a row, the 30ᵉ victory overall! A performance that has not failed to make the FFLose react. The media, which usually pokes fun at French defeats, paid tribute to the MotoGP rider, in its own way. However, it didn't take much for the media to relay the news in its usual way.

Indeed, the team came very close to a penalty at the end of the race. As the stints progressed, the Honda gradually increased its lead over the Yamaha n1. By the time it came to its final stop, the Honda had a lead of around 50 seconds, which almost cost it dearly. A mechanic lowered the stand too early, resulting in a 40-second penalty for the team, in accordance with the 10-second stop-and-go rule applied after the finish. Despite this penalty, the Honda retained first place with a lead of 7.860 seconds.

“The rarity of the fact gives the thing its price”

The pressure can now be relieved, and the HRC team can let its joy flow... @HRC

Johann Zarco joins a tiny list of riders who have won the Suzuka 8 Hours while racing in MotoGP. Pol Espargaró was the last to take part, in 2016, but Valentino Rossi's victory in 2001 with Colin Edwards will have left more of an imprint on memories. The last premier class rider to take part in this race was Takaaki Nakagami in 2018, with a second-place finish.

A victory that could inspire others to venture into the World Endurance Championship (EWC), perhaps? That's what Paolo Ciabatti (former Sporting Director of Ducati Corse) hinted at. Although he no longer manages the brand's elite program, he retains control of the various categories.

Paolo Ciabatti, on a possible Ducati arrival at Suzuka?
I don't know about Marc Márquez and Bautista, but I'd like to take part with Ducati's MotoGP riders [...] Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio have said they'd like to take part in the Suzuka 8 Hours, so we'd like to find a motivated MotoGP or WorldSBK rider as a third rider. It's too early to say whether it'll be next year or in 2025, but... after the race I'll take data and various information back to Bologna, and then think carefully about future plans.

In any case, he agrees. Meanwhile, championship leader Francesco Bagnaia took advantage of the break to get married... Far from the attractions of two-wheeled motorcycles, but also from the conditions in which the race took place. The Suzuka 8 Hours took place in sweltering heat, approaching 35C, putting the region on heatwave alert. A situation that Kawasaki Webike Trickstar had to cope with as best it could. Grégory Leblanc broke his femur in a warm-up crash, before Román Ramos collapsed. Faced with this hecatomb, Christian Gamarino was for a time the only one fit to ride. Paddock GP reports on the long race weekend that led to the Japanese manufacturer's success.