Honda HRC claimed pole position for the 47th FIM Endurance World Championship ?Coca-Cola? Suzuka 8 Hours on July 5, 2026, at Suzuka Circuit in Mie, Japan. Officials said the Top 10 Trial (Superpole) was cancelled due to persistent rain, so Friday?s combined qualifying times, with Honda HRC?s average lap of 2:04.738, determined the starting grid.
The cancellation of Saturday?s Top 10 Trial, also known as the Superpole session, was due to persistent rain at Suzuka Circuit, officials said. This decision affected the entire 50-team grid, with starting positions determined solely by the combined qualifying results from Friday. The team?s riders?Jonathan Rea, Takumi Takahashi, and Somkiat Chantra?will start at the front of the grid for the 47th FIM Endurance World Championship ?Coca-Cola? Suzuka 8 Hours, scheduled for July 5, 2026, in Mie, Japan.
Honda HRC secured pole position with an average lap time of 2 minutes, 4.738 seconds, according to official timing data.
Jonathan Rea set the fastest individual lap time during Friday?s second qualifying session, recording a 2:04.422, sources confirmed. This performance helped establish Honda HRC?s pace advantage ahead of the rainout. Roadracing World reported that the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team was second fastest in Friday?s qualifying but was unable to improve their position due to the cancellation of the Superpole session. Crash.net also noted that the grid order was locked in based on Friday?s multi-session qualifying averages, emphasizing consistent lap times rather than a single-lap shootout.
The Top 10 Trial is typically used to reshuffle and confirm the top ten grid spots at Suzuka, providing teams an opportunity to improve their starting positions through a single-lap performance. However, according to the official Suzuka 8 Hours Honda Racing Corporation site and multiple media reports, the 2026 cancellation meant that no additional runs were completed. Consequently, Honda HRC?s Friday qualifying results became the official basis for the starting order. This procedural change was confirmed by event officials and noted in coverage by Crash.net and Roadracing World.
Honda HRC?s entry for the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours features the Honda CBR1000RR-R SP machine in the Endurance World Championship class. The rider lineup combines seasoned endurance specialists and world-class competitors. Takumi Takahashi, a multiple-time Suzuka 8 Hours winner and long-time Honda rider, brings extensive experience to the team. Jonathan Rea, a multi-time World Superbike Champion, contributed the fastest lap in qualifying, while Somkiat Chantra, a regular Moto2 competitor affiliated with Honda-linked teams, completes the trio, according to the official event entry list.
Historically, Honda HRC has demonstrated strong performances at Suzuka, with four consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victories recorded by 2025. The team?s dominance includes setting lap records and converting pole positions into race wins. For instance, in the 2025 edition, Johann Zarco secured pole with a lap record of 2:04.290 during the Top 10 Trial, and Honda HRC went on to win the race, marking Honda?s 31st victory at the event. This established pattern underscores the significance of Honda HRC?s pole position in 2026, even though the traditional Superpole session was not held.
The cancellation of the Superpole session due to weather conditions represents a notable procedural alteration for the Suzuka 8 Hours, as confirmed by multiple sources including Crash.net and the official event website. The decision shifted greater strategic importance to Friday?s qualifying sessions, where consistent pace rather than a single fast lap determined the starting grid. This change affected all teams, with no opportunity for those relying on a strong single-lap performance to improve their positions on Saturday.
Officials and race organizers continue to monitor weather conditions leading up to the race day on July 5. The event remains a key round of the FIM Endurance World Championship, attracting top teams and riders from around the world. Honda HRC?s pole position sets the stage for a competitive race, with rivals like BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team poised to challenge under the unique circumstances imposed by the weather-related cancellation.
Honda HRC claimed pole position for the 47th FIM Endurance World Championship ?Coca-Cola? Suzuka 8 Hours on July 5, 2026, at Suzuka Circuit in Mie, Japan. Officials said the Top 10 Trial (Superpole) was cancelled due to persistent rain, so Friday?s combined qualifying times, with Honda HRC?s average lap of 2:04.738, determined the starting grid.
The cancellation of Saturday?s Top 10 Trial, also known as the Superpole session, was due to persistent rain at Suzuka Circuit, officials said. This decision affected the entire 50-team grid, with starting positions determined solely by the combined qualifying results from Friday. The team?s riders?Jonathan Rea, Takumi Takahashi, and Somkiat Chantra?will start at the front of the grid for the 47th FIM Endurance World Championship ?Coca-Cola? Suzuka 8 Hours, scheduled for July 5, 2026, in Mie, Japan.
Honda HRC secured pole position with an average lap time of 2 minutes, 4.738 seconds, according to official timing data.
Jonathan Rea set the fastest individual lap time during Friday?s second qualifying session, recording a 2:04.422, sources confirmed. This performance helped establish Honda HRC?s pace advantage ahead of the rainout. Roadracing World reported that the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team was second fastest in Friday?s qualifying but was unable to improve their position due to the cancellation of the Superpole session. Crash.net also noted that the grid order was locked in based on Friday?s multi-session qualifying averages, emphasizing consistent lap times rather than a single-lap shootout.
The Top 10 Trial is typically used to reshuffle and confirm the top ten grid spots at Suzuka, providing teams an opportunity to improve their starting positions through a single-lap performance. However, according to the official Suzuka 8 Hours Honda Racing Corporation site and multiple media reports, the 2026 cancellation meant that no additional runs were completed. Consequently, Honda HRC?s Friday qualifying results became the official basis for the starting order. This procedural change was confirmed by event officials and noted in coverage by Crash.net and Roadracing World.
Honda HRC?s entry for the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours features the Honda CBR1000RR-R SP machine in the Endurance World Championship class. The rider lineup combines seasoned endurance specialists and world-class competitors. Takumi Takahashi, a multiple-time Suzuka 8 Hours winner and long-time Honda rider, brings extensive experience to the team. Jonathan Rea, a multi-time World Superbike Champion, contributed the fastest lap in qualifying, while Somkiat Chantra, a regular Moto2 competitor affiliated with Honda-linked teams, completes the trio, according to the official event entry list.
Historically, Honda HRC has demonstrated strong performances at Suzuka, with four consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victories recorded by 2025. The team?s dominance includes setting lap records and converting pole positions into race wins. For instance, in the 2025 edition, Johann Zarco secured pole with a lap record of 2:04.290 during the Top 10 Trial, and Honda HRC went on to win the race, marking Honda?s 31st victory at the event. This established pattern underscores the significance of Honda HRC?s pole position in 2026, even though the traditional Superpole session was not held.
The cancellation of the Superpole session due to weather conditions represents a notable procedural alteration for the Suzuka 8 Hours, as confirmed by multiple sources including Crash.net and the official event website. The decision shifted greater strategic importance to Friday?s qualifying sessions, where consistent pace rather than a single fast lap determined the starting grid. This change affected all teams, with no opportunity for those relying on a strong single-lap performance to improve their positions on Saturday.
Officials and race organizers continue to monitor weather conditions leading up to the race day on July 5. The event remains a key round of the FIM Endurance World Championship, attracting top teams and riders from around the world. Honda HRC?s pole position sets the stage for a competitive race, with rivals like BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team poised to challenge under the unique circumstances imposed by the weather-related cancellation.
Jack Miller finished second at the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in Japan on Sunday, behind the dominant Honda HRC team. Miller said he was disappointed to miss the chance to win, citing Yamaha?s inability to match Honda?s pace despite strong preparation and effort.
Zarco crossed the finish line first despite two safety-car periods, extending Takahashi?s record to seven wins at the event and marking Zarco?s second Suzuka 8 Hours victory, according to official race records. Honda?s factory team, running with just two riders and conducting seven pit stops, demonstrated efficiency and race control that left rivals chasing throughout the eight-hour endurance race.
Honda HRC secured its fourth consecutive victory at the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours on Sunday, completing 217 laps with riders Johann Zarco and Takumi Takahashi.
Jack Miller, riding for the Yamaha Racing Team alongside Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Andrea Locatelli, finished second overall with an identical lap count but a slower race time of 8:01:00.823, official Yamaha data shows. Miller expressed clear disappointment after the race, stating he ?couldn?t show our true potential? and was ?disappointed not to get the win,? according to his post-race comments reported by Yamaha media. He acknowledged that despite a ?good day? and a strong race effort, Yamaha ?couldn?t catch our rivals? from Honda and emphasized that the team ?needed to be faster? to mount a proper challenge in future Suzuka events.
Miller?s frustration was compounded by Yamaha?s qualifying performance, where the Yamaha R1 secured only the fifth-fastest time overall. Johann Zarco had claimed pole position with a lap of 2 minutes, 4.290 seconds, setting a new Suzuka 8 Hours lap record and beating Yamaha?s Andrea Locatelli by 0.026 seconds, according to qualifying session reports. Miller described qualifying as a ?heavy challenge? and admitted to being ?disappointed? with the result, which forced Yamaha to start the race at a relative disadvantage to Honda?s dominant pace.
The Yamaha Racing Team faced additional challenges during the event build-up. Miller suffered a high-profile crash in qualifying practice that sent his bike airborne, as widely reported and captured on video. Despite escaping injury, the crash disrupted Yamaha?s momentum and required the team to regroup quickly. Miller later noted that the Yamaha R1 initially felt ?completely foreign? to him before the final pre-race test, highlighting the adaptation challenge from his usual MotoGP machinery. He indicated that while his pace improved as he adjusted, the early difficulties and the crash may have limited the team?s ability to fully display their potential against Honda?s well-established Suzuka package.
Throughout the race, Miller praised his team?s execution, noting they managed the event with ?almost no mistakes? despite ?hot and extremely difficult? conditions. However, he maintained that the performance gap to Honda was clear and that Yamaha must improve speed to convert strong performances into victories. Yamaha?s other factory-supported team, YART, retired from the race, making Miller?s runner-up finish the manufacturer?s primary result and increasing the emotional weight of narrowly missing the win.
Miller?s comments after the race reflected a mix of pride in the team?s effort and regret over the missed opportunity. He stated that second place was ?good? but not the target he had set upon committing to the demanding endurance event. Looking ahead, Miller explicitly expressed his intention to return to the Suzuka 8 Hours next year with the goal of winning. He said the team must ?improve and be faster? to challenge Honda properly and that he was motivated by the experience to refine both his performance and Yamaha?s race package.
The 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours, held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan on June 29, remains a key round of the Endurance World Championship. Honda?s victory continued a dominant streak that began in 2022, while Yamaha?s near miss underscored the competitive gap that teams will seek to close in upcoming seasons. Miller?s participation came amid his ongoing MotoGP commitments, adding complexity to his adaptation to the endurance race format and machinery. Officials confirmed that the event featured 217 laps completed by both leading teams, with Honda finishing ahead by a narrow margin on elapsed time. The race also included two safety-car periods, which tested teams? strategic execution under changing conditions.
Jack Miller finished second at the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in Japan on Sunday, behind the dominant Honda HRC team. Miller said he was disappointed to miss the chance to win, citing Yamaha?s inability to match Honda?s pace despite strong preparation and effort.
Zarco crossed the finish line first despite two safety-car periods, extending Takahashi?s record to seven wins at the event and marking Zarco?s second Suzuka 8 Hours victory, according to official race records. Honda?s factory team, running with just two riders and conducting seven pit stops, demonstrated efficiency and race control that left rivals chasing throughout the eight-hour endurance race.
Honda HRC secured its fourth consecutive victory at the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours on Sunday, completing 217 laps with riders Johann Zarco and Takumi Takahashi.
Jack Miller, riding for the Yamaha Racing Team alongside Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Andrea Locatelli, finished second overall with an identical lap count but a slower race time of 8:01:00.823, official Yamaha data shows. Miller expressed clear disappointment after the race, stating he ?couldn?t show our true potential? and was ?disappointed not to get the win,? according to his post-race comments reported by Yamaha media. He acknowledged that despite a ?good day? and a strong race effort, Yamaha ?couldn?t catch our rivals? from Honda and emphasized that the team ?needed to be faster? to mount a proper challenge in future Suzuka events.
Miller?s frustration was compounded by Yamaha?s qualifying performance, where the Yamaha R1 secured only the fifth-fastest time overall. Johann Zarco had claimed pole position with a lap of 2 minutes, 4.290 seconds, setting a new Suzuka 8 Hours lap record and beating Yamaha?s Andrea Locatelli by 0.026 seconds, according to qualifying session reports. Miller described qualifying as a ?heavy challenge? and admitted to being ?disappointed? with the result, which forced Yamaha to start the race at a relative disadvantage to Honda?s dominant pace.
The Yamaha Racing Team faced additional challenges during the event build-up. Miller suffered a high-profile crash in qualifying practice that sent his bike airborne, as widely reported and captured on video. Despite escaping injury, the crash disrupted Yamaha?s momentum and required the team to regroup quickly. Miller later noted that the Yamaha R1 initially felt ?completely foreign? to him before the final pre-race test, highlighting the adaptation challenge from his usual MotoGP machinery. He indicated that while his pace improved as he adjusted, the early difficulties and the crash may have limited the team?s ability to fully display their potential against Honda?s well-established Suzuka package.
Throughout the race, Miller praised his team?s execution, noting they managed the event with ?almost no mistakes? despite ?hot and extremely difficult? conditions. However, he maintained that the performance gap to Honda was clear and that Yamaha must improve speed to convert strong performances into victories. Yamaha?s other factory-supported team, YART, retired from the race, making Miller?s runner-up finish the manufacturer?s primary result and increasing the emotional weight of narrowly missing the win.
Miller?s comments after the race reflected a mix of pride in the team?s effort and regret over the missed opportunity. He stated that second place was ?good? but not the target he had set upon committing to the demanding endurance event. Looking ahead, Miller explicitly expressed his intention to return to the Suzuka 8 Hours next year with the goal of winning. He said the team must ?improve and be faster? to challenge Honda properly and that he was motivated by the experience to refine both his performance and Yamaha?s race package.
The 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours, held at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan on June 29, remains a key round of the Endurance World Championship. Honda?s victory continued a dominant streak that began in 2022, while Yamaha?s near miss underscored the competitive gap that teams will seek to close in upcoming seasons. Miller?s participation came amid his ongoing MotoGP commitments, adding complexity to his adaptation to the endurance race format and machinery. Officials confirmed that the event featured 217 laps completed by both leading teams, with Honda finishing ahead by a narrow margin on elapsed time. The race also included two safety-car periods, which tested teams? strategic execution under changing conditions.
At the 2024 World Ducati Week held last weekend at the Misano World Circuit, Ducati Lenovo Team Manager Davide Tardozzi named Nicolò Bulega as the brand?s future MotoGP star. According to Tardozzi, Bulega is poised to make a ?seismic leap? in Ducati?s long-term MotoGP project aligned with new technical regulations scheduled for 2027.
According to the official MotoGP release, Bulega will work alongside experienced test rider Michele Pirro to develop the Desmosedici MotoGP machine, which will race under new technical regulations scheduled to take effect in 2027. Ducati?s plan, as outlined by team manager Davide Tardozzi, is for Bulega to gain the necessary experience and tyre knowledge during his test-rider role to play a central role in the 2027 bike?s development.
Ducati confirmed on June 10, 2025, that Nicolò Bulega signed a contract to become the brand?s MotoGP test rider for the 2026 season, while continuing to compete with Aruba.it Racing ? Ducati in the World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK).
Tardozzi, speaking at the 2024 World Ducati Week (WDW) event held at the Misano World Circuit, described Bulega as Ducati?s ?future MotoGP star? and said the rider is set to make a ?seismic leap? in alignment with Ducati?s long-term MotoGP project. Tardozzi has repeatedly highlighted Bulega?s speed and development potential in public statements, emphasizing that the 2026 test-rider season will prepare him to lead the next-generation Desmosedici?s development. ?He will be the guy who will develop the bike, because we think that Nicolo will have in 2026 the experience and the speed to do this with the tyres,? Tardozzi said in an interview during the 2025 Portuguese Grand Prix weekend at Portimão.
Bulega?s role as a test rider is part of a strategic two-pillar structure for Ducati?s 2026?2027 MotoGP development cycle, with Pirro providing long-term testing expertise and Bulega contributing his current racing speed and adaptability. Ducati officials have linked Bulega?s success in WorldSBK, where he is the current championship leader as of mid-2025, to the decision to entrust him with MotoGP test duties. The official MotoGP communication described Bulega as ?attuale leader della classifica delle derivate di serie,? underscoring his championship-contending form in WorldSBK as a factual basis for his promotion.
In addition to his test-rider responsibilities, Ducati has considered Bulega for a potential MotoGP race debut as an injury replacement. With Marc Márquez likely to miss the 2025 Portuguese Grand Prix due to injury, Tardozzi confirmed to Motorsport.com that giving Bulega a MotoGP start at Portimão was ?a possibility,? though he stressed that Bulega?s immediate priority remained fighting for the WorldSBK Championship in Jerez. ?We will study the possibility,? Tardozzi said, adding that the rider ?shouldn?t be distracted from that goal.? This injury-replacement scenario illustrates Ducati?s confidence in Bulega, placing him on the shortlist of riders trusted to race the Desmosedici beyond his test-rider role.
Media coverage and paddock analysis from early 2025 have noted instances where Bulega?s lap times were competitive with established MotoGP champions, supporting Tardozzi?s characterization of him as a future star. His temporary MotoGP outings, including stepping in for injured riders, have demonstrated strong pace and adaptability across tyres and machinery, reinforcing his suitability for the test-rider position and potential future race seat.
The World Ducati Week event, held as part of Ducati?s 2024?2025 centenary celebrations at Misano, served as a platform for the brand to showcase its history and signal future sporting plans. According to reports, the event was described as a ?showcase of power, ambition and intriguing suggestions about Ducati?s future in MotoGP.? Ducati Lenovo Team Manager Davide Tardozzi, a former Italian Superbike rider and WorldSBK team boss, used the occasion to publicly position Bulega as a key figure in Ducati?s long-term MotoGP strategy centered on the 2027 technical regulation changes.
Ducati?s use of WDW extends beyond fan engagement to include messaging about rider development, test-team structure, and future MotoGP line-ups. Tardozzi?s remarks at WDW went beyond routine praise, deliberately signaling Bulega?s trajectory from test rider to premier-class contender. MotoGP.com?s multi-language reporting framed Bulega as a ?key figure? in Ducati?s 2027 development cycle, tasked with accumulating test experience to lead the development of the 2027-spec Desmosedici, particularly in understanding the new tyre and technical package.
Collectively, Ducati?s official statements, contract details, and Tardozzi?s public comments position Nicolò Bulega as a central protagonist in the brand?s post-2027 MotoGP strategy. The rider?s dual role as WorldSBK contender and MotoGP test rider reflects Ducati?s approach to bridging Superbike performance with MotoGP development, aiming to sustain competitiveness and innovation into the new regulatory era.
At the 2024 World Ducati Week held last weekend at the Misano World Circuit, Ducati Lenovo Team Manager Davide Tardozzi named Nicolò Bulega as the brand?s future MotoGP star. According to Tardozzi, Bulega is poised to make a ?seismic leap? in Ducati?s long-term MotoGP project aligned with new technical regulations scheduled for 2027.
According to the official MotoGP release, Bulega will work alongside experienced test rider Michele Pirro to develop the Desmosedici MotoGP machine, which will race under new technical regulations scheduled to take effect in 2027. Ducati?s plan, as outlined by team manager Davide Tardozzi, is for Bulega to gain the necessary experience and tyre knowledge during his test-rider role to play a central role in the 2027 bike?s development.
Ducati confirmed on June 10, 2025, that Nicolò Bulega signed a contract to become the brand?s MotoGP test rider for the 2026 season, while continuing to compete with Aruba.it Racing ? Ducati in the World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK).
Tardozzi, speaking at the 2024 World Ducati Week (WDW) event held at the Misano World Circuit, described Bulega as Ducati?s ?future MotoGP star? and said the rider is set to make a ?seismic leap? in alignment with Ducati?s long-term MotoGP project. Tardozzi has repeatedly highlighted Bulega?s speed and development potential in public statements, emphasizing that the 2026 test-rider season will prepare him to lead the next-generation Desmosedici?s development. ?He will be the guy who will develop the bike, because we think that Nicolo will have in 2026 the experience and the speed to do this with the tyres,? Tardozzi said in an interview during the 2025 Portuguese Grand Prix weekend at Portimão.
Bulega?s role as a test rider is part of a strategic two-pillar structure for Ducati?s 2026?2027 MotoGP development cycle, with Pirro providing long-term testing expertise and Bulega contributing his current racing speed and adaptability. Ducati officials have linked Bulega?s success in WorldSBK, where he is the current championship leader as of mid-2025, to the decision to entrust him with MotoGP test duties. The official MotoGP communication described Bulega as ?attuale leader della classifica delle derivate di serie,? underscoring his championship-contending form in WorldSBK as a factual basis for his promotion.
In addition to his test-rider responsibilities, Ducati has considered Bulega for a potential MotoGP race debut as an injury replacement. With Marc Márquez likely to miss the 2025 Portuguese Grand Prix due to injury, Tardozzi confirmed to Motorsport.com that giving Bulega a MotoGP start at Portimão was ?a possibility,? though he stressed that Bulega?s immediate priority remained fighting for the WorldSBK Championship in Jerez. ?We will study the possibility,? Tardozzi said, adding that the rider ?shouldn?t be distracted from that goal.? This injury-replacement scenario illustrates Ducati?s confidence in Bulega, placing him on the shortlist of riders trusted to race the Desmosedici beyond his test-rider role.
Media coverage and paddock analysis from early 2025 have noted instances where Bulega?s lap times were competitive with established MotoGP champions, supporting Tardozzi?s characterization of him as a future star. His temporary MotoGP outings, including stepping in for injured riders, have demonstrated strong pace and adaptability across tyres and machinery, reinforcing his suitability for the test-rider position and potential future race seat.
The World Ducati Week event, held as part of Ducati?s 2024?2025 centenary celebrations at Misano, served as a platform for the brand to showcase its history and signal future sporting plans. According to reports, the event was described as a ?showcase of power, ambition and intriguing suggestions about Ducati?s future in MotoGP.? Ducati Lenovo Team Manager Davide Tardozzi, a former Italian Superbike rider and WorldSBK team boss, used the occasion to publicly position Bulega as a key figure in Ducati?s long-term MotoGP strategy centered on the 2027 technical regulation changes.
Ducati?s use of WDW extends beyond fan engagement to include messaging about rider development, test-team structure, and future MotoGP line-ups. Tardozzi?s remarks at WDW went beyond routine praise, deliberately signaling Bulega?s trajectory from test rider to premier-class contender. MotoGP.com?s multi-language reporting framed Bulega as a ?key figure? in Ducati?s 2027 development cycle, tasked with accumulating test experience to lead the development of the 2027-spec Desmosedici, particularly in understanding the new tyre and technical package.
Collectively, Ducati?s official statements, contract details, and Tardozzi?s public comments position Nicolò Bulega as a central protagonist in the brand?s post-2027 MotoGP strategy. The rider?s dual role as WorldSBK contender and MotoGP test rider reflects Ducati?s approach to bridging Superbike performance with MotoGP development, aiming to sustain competitiveness and innovation into the new regulatory era.