2025 FIM World Endurance Round 3 Results

Cycle News Staff | August 4, 2025

Under punishing heat and heavy humidity, Honda HRC pulled off a remarkable feat at the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours, capturing victory with just two riders—Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco. The pair made history by becoming the first two-rider squad to win the endurance classic since three-rider lineups became the norm.

With Xavi Vierge unable to compete due to medical-clearance issues, Takahashi and Zarco carried the full workload, securing Honda’s fourth consecutive win at Suzuka and bringing the manufacturer’s all-time tally to 31. For Zarco, it was a second career victory at the event; for Takahashi, a record-extending seventh, marking him as the most successful rider in the history of the event.

The weekend began with fireworks in Saturday’s Top 10 Trial, where Zarco blazed around Suzuka Circuit in 2:04.290, setting a new qualifying benchmark and taking pole by just 0.026 of a second over Yamaha Racing Team’s Andrea Locatelli. Track temperatures exceeded 96°F, previewing the brutal conditions to come.

The race got underway at 11:30 a.m., with Takahashi launching from pole. However, Yuki Kunii (SDG HARC-Pro Honda) briefly surged ahead in turn two, but the lead was short-lived, as the number-30 Honda quickly reestablished dominance and settled into a strong rhythm.

Honda HRC team at 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours — Johann Zarco’s famous backflip is on show once again as the Frenchman, alongside Honda HRC teammate Takumi Takahashi (right), took the top honors in the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours ahead of Yamaha Racing Team and Yoshimura SERT Motul.

Yamaha’s factory trio of Locatelli, Jack Miller and Katsuyuki Nakasuga stayed within striking distance but couldn’t consistently match the leaders’ pace.

As the sun climbed higher, both Honda riders rotated through longer-than-usual stints, facing dehydration and fatigue. Meanwhile, BMW Motorrad’s squad of Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal and Michael van der Mark, who started fourth, encountered disaster midrace when a loose footpeg triggered a crash. Though the team rejoined the race, the incident derailed any podium ambitions, and they would eventually finish fifth, three laps adrift.

A pivotal moment came in the final stretch, when the number 55 National Motos Honda triggered a safety-car period following an off-track excursion. With the field bunched back up, Yamaha threatened to challenge for the lead, but the Honda duo used traffic and their tire strategy to extend their advantage, growing a two-second gap into five within a few laps.

Loris Baz at 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours — **MotoAmerica King of The Baggers star Loris Baz shows the kind of exhaustion the riders endure as he hands over his BMW during a pit stop.**

After eight hours and 217 laps, the number 30 Honda crossed the finish line with a 34.243-second cushion over Yamaha’s factory entry. Third place went to Yoshimura SERT Motul, whose effort was highlighted by a gritty recovery after Dan Linfoot crashed early in the race. The team climbed through the field to secure the final podium spot.

“[We had] good pace; it’s always a good race when you can control a gap,” Zarco said on the television broadcast after the race. “But just doing it [with two riders], it’s difficult because it’s too hot, you sweat a lot, and the recovery time is too short. It’s tough sometimes when you go back on the bike, but at the end, the pace was quite good. We got two safety cars. That always changed, a bit, the game, but we could keep an advantage.

“Thanks to Takumi, because he’s always doing the job, every stint, and that’s so impressive. And then I try to do the same, and I hope next year we will be three, because we’ll be better.”CN