Miller rues early grip issues in chaotic Suzuka 8-hour

A mid-race charge from the Yamaha Factory Racing Team couldn’t prevent Honda HRC taking a 32nd 8-Hour win in one of the wettest, most incident strewn events in memory

Jack Miller and the Yamaha Factory Racing Team stormed back to finish second in a sodden 47th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours, but their stirring late charge could not stop Honda HRC from prevailing in a race shaped by treacherous conditions, repeated interruptions and no shortage of drama.

Honda HRC completed 188 laps at Suzuka on Sunday, 5 July to seal a fifth consecutive victory in the event and Honda’s 32nd overall triumph. Takumi Takahashi, Jonathan Rea and Somkiat Chantra shared the winning #30 Fireblade SP, although Honda HRC ultimately did not need to send Chantra out as the wet conditions pushed the team into a two-rider rotation – a bitter pill for the young superbike rider, who nonetheless became the first Thai rider to stand atop the 8-Hour podium. The race ended behind the safety car after heavy rain swept back in during the final stages. The result delivered Takahashi his eighth Suzuka 8 Hours win, extending the record he already held, while Rea celebrated his third success in the race.

The race began at 11:30 am local time at the 5.821 km Suzuka Circuit under grey skies, with the track already soaked from morning rain. From the opening laps, the weather turned the usual order upside down. Gregg Black blasted from eighth to snatch the early lead on the Yoshimura SERT Motul Suzuki, while the #37 BMW, which had started second, slumped to 15th on the opening tour.

Up front, another BMW was soon making waves. Naomichi Uramoto hurled the #76 AutoRace Ube Racing Team machine into the lead in the first laps and immediately began pulling out a gap, circulating roughly half a second a lap faster than the riders behind. Takahashi soon latched on, reeled him in inside the first half hour and briefly hit the front, only for the lead to change hands again as an unlikely but gripping duel took shape.

One hour in, Uramoto and Takahashi were still trading blows at the front on the drenched circuit. The recovering #37 BMW had surged back to third, around seven seconds off the leading pair. YART was fifth at that stage, with Miller’s #21 Yamaha tucked in just behind and waiting to make its move.

The opening phase was already taking victims. Disaster struck for Florian Marino, who crashed the #99 Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 Yamaha. The bike was too badly damaged to continue straight away and had to be returned to the garage, where repairs kept it there for 40 minutes before Randy de Puniet could rejoin. Not long after, more trouble followed when fluid dropped by Mike Di Meglio’s Honda from Tati Team AVA6 Racing in the final sector caught out the #36 and #17, forcing race control to deploy the safety car.

By halfway, Honda HRC was still in front after 92 laps, but the race was anything but comfortable. The AutoRace Ube Racing Team sat 1’03.990 behind, although that number flattered the leaders given how often the #76 BMW had closed back in through the rider changes. Uramoto had also hammered in the fastest lap of the race, a 2’16.249, underlining just how serious the challenge remained. Honda HRC had, in fact, completed one fewer lap before the mid-race classification was issued. The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team was third and still on the same lap as the leaders.

At that point, the Yamaha Factory Racing Team trio of Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Miller and Andrea Locatelli was fourth, one lap down, ahead of YART and Yoshimura SERT Motul. The Suzuki team had lost ground after being handed a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for an incorrect refuelling procedure.

Miller had already shown his intent in the fully wet 8:30 a.m. warm-up, quickly adapting to the conditions and setting the team’s benchmark with the second-fastest lap overall. Starting fifth on the grid on the Bridgestone-equipped #21 Yamaha R1, he wasted no time muscling forward and briefly climbed to third in the frantic early laps before settling into a measured rhythm as the conditions remained knife-edge tricky.

At 12:04 p.m., the first safety car period gave Yamaha the chance to bring Miller in from sixth and hand over to Locatelli. Just seven minutes into Locatelli’s stint, the safety car was out again as the rain intensified. Nakasuga then turned in a calm and tidy run before Miller was thrown back into the action for his second stint.

That was when Yamaha’s race truly came alive. Despite having limited experience on the R1 in fully wet conditions, Miller quickly found his groove and began carving chunks out of the lap time. He rattled off a sequence of team-best laps in the 2’16 range, swept past the AutoRace Ube Racing Team machine and hauled Yamaha into second. Then he went on a charge after Honda HRC, steadily chipping away at the advantage at the front.

Honda’s answer came through Rea. After Takahashi had finished his opening 33-lap stint in the lead, Rea took over and kept the pressure under control until the end of lap 66 before handing the bike back to Takahashi. When Takahashi stopped again at the end of lap 92, Rea rejoined still leading, with an advantage of around 22 seconds over Sylvain Guintoli on the AutoRace Ube bike.

Miller moved into second on lap 105 and continued to hunt down the leader while lapping consistently between 2’16 and 2’18. As Miller closed in, Rea responded in kind, lifting his own pace to keep the margin at around 28 seconds. Miller made his fourth stop on lap 115, while Rea stayed out three laps longer before Takahashi resumed at the end of lap 118.

Takahashi began the sixth hour around 29 seconds clear of Michael van der Mark on the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team machine. On lap 144, Honda HRC made its fifth and penultimate stop, with Takahashi handing back to Rea. Even when the gap to second-placed Miller dipped below 20 seconds, Rea kept things composed at the front. Takahashi then returned on lap 173 with 52 minutes remaining, carrying an advantage of roughly 20 seconds over Locatelli.

Yamaha kept cycling its riders as the pressure built. Locatelli had taken over at 4:23 p.m., Miller climbed back on at 5:27 p.m., and Locatelli was then sent out once more at 6:38 p.m. for the closing run. He continued the pursuit and brought the gap down to around 15 to 20 seconds, but the worsening weather was about to bring the fight to an abrupt end.

A few minutes after Takahashi started the final stint, heavy rain returned and the fading light made the final phase even more treacherous. With 34 minutes remaining, the safety car was deployed on lap 179, effectively freezing the order and settling the outcome. Honda HRC remained in command to the finish under neutralised conditions.

The Yamaha Factory Racing Team therefore had to settle for second, 1’34.280 behind, after also completing 188 laps. It was still an impressive recovery and the team’s second straight runner-up finish at Suzuka, even if Miller’s brilliance ultimately came too late to put real pressure on Honda at the finish.

The BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team secured third with Markus Reiterberger, Steven Odendaal and Michael van der Mark, giving BMW the first podium for a European manufacturer in Suzuka 8 Hours history. YART, with Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Leandro Mercado, finished fourth and left Japan with a 19-point lead in the FIM Endurance World Championship standings ahead of the Bol d’Or season finale at Circuit Paul Ricard in France from 17 to 20 September.

The AutoRace Ube Racing Team, which had looked like a genuine threat for so much of the race, faded late on and finished fifth, less than two seconds behind YART after a 10-sec stop and go penalty for incorrect pitstop procedure. Yoshimura SERT Motul eventually took sixth, two laps down, after its earlier 10-second stop-and-go penalty for an incorrect refuelling procedure.

Elsewhere, F.C.C. TSR Honda France never recovered from a bruising first half and wound up 26th overall, 12 laps behind. Earlier, the #17 Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing crashed at Turn 15, prompting another safety car so the track could be cleaned, while F.C.C. TSR Honda France had also spent time stopped between Turns 14 and 15 before continuing. Team Sakurai Honda also endured its share of trouble, and KM99 eventually battled back from Marino’s early fall to complete 173 laps and finish 30th.

Max Stauffer finished in 12th position for Marumae Kodama with teammates Yuta Kodama and Takumi Takahashi, five laps down on the leaders.

In the class categories, the #52 NCXX Racing with Riders Club led Superstock from 15th overall, while Team Suzuki CN Challenge topped the Experimental class in eighth overall.

Honda

Takumi Takahashi – Winner, Honda HRC
“First of all, I’m really happy that we were able to finish the race safely, even though it was run entirely in wet conditions. Unfortunately, Chantra wasn’t able to ride, but Johnny and I completed the race together, with Chantra supporting us throughout, and I’m very pleased with how everything went. Earlier this year, when I learned that Nakasuga-san would be retiring, one of my goals became to beat him before he stepped away (joking). Johnny did an incredible job today. He’s a multiple World Champion and his pace was both incredibly fast and very consistent. The whole team was fantastic as well. Every tyre change, every pit stop and every decision was executed perfectly, and they gave us a great bike. This victory belongs to everyone.”

Jonathan Rea – Winner, Honda HRC
“I’m so, so happy with this win. In these conditions you couldn’t afford a single mistake, with the changing weather and all the pressure, but the team did an incredible job and the bike was amazing. My teammate was fantastic, so consistent, and I just did my job. It was a huge team effort, so thank you very much. Thanks to all the fans as well. Race ended 7:30 in the evening and the grandstands were still full, so it’s really special to be back here. I’m incredibly grateful to HRC and Honda for this opportunity. The last three or four seasons have been tough mentally, but this bike has been incredible. I’d almost forgotten what it feels like to overtake people on the straight! Thank you for reminding me that I’m still fast. Pole position, fastest lap and the race win. I couldn’t ask for more. I’m just so grateful.”

Somkiat Chantra – Winner, Honda HRC
“I’m really, really happy for Jonathan and Takumi. Today we were one happy team. This week has been a great experience and a great lesson for me. I’d like to thank Honda HRC for giving me this opportunity and for helping me learn so much throughout the week. Of course, it’s unfortunate that I wasn’t able to race, but I enjoyed every moment and I hope I’ll have another opportunity in the future.”

Yamaha