Honda confirms during the first test day of the 8 Suzuka 2022 Hours, the YART flies on the second day with Niccolò Canepa, Rea on track. Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes take to the track.
Alessio Piana / Corsedimoto.com
The 8 Suzuka 2022 Hours long week has officially begun. The inaugural day of testing saw 39 of the 45 starting teams take to the track on Tuesday August 2, significantly confirming the field values that emerged from the tests last July. In action only in the afternoon, the Honda HRC set the best time with Tetsuta Nagashima ahead, in order, the YART Yamaha and the Kawasaki KRT, the latter on track with only Leon Haslam.
HONDA HRC IMMEDIATELY INTO THE SUZUKA 8 HOURS
By skipping the two rounds scheduled for the morning, Team HRC reconfirmed the level of competitiveness that had emerged from the previous double day of testing. Tetsuta nagashima, test rider for the MotoGP, Superbike and 8h Suzuka projects, took the "pole" of the day in 2'06"966, making him the only rider capable of breaking the 2'07" barrier. A great performance considering the high temperatures of around 35°, with the asphalt reaching 60°!
JONATHAN REA ON TRACK TOMORROW
Tetsuta nagashima alternated with Takumi Takahashi on the CBR 1000RR n°33, Iker Lecuona not being expected on the track until tomorrow. This also applies to Jonathan Rhea et Alex Lowes, who only arrived in Japan during the Test, taking into account Most's long journey to the Land of the Rising Sun. Kawasaki KRT had indeed invited Leon Haslam coming to Suzuka a few days early, so he could attend today's practice session, where he set the third fastest time in 2'07"451.
YART YAMAHA FAST
As in last month's testing, the YART Yamaha confirmed its speed at Suzuka. With Niccolò Canepa (the only Italian in the match) flanked by Marvin Fritz et
Karel Hanika, the R1 #7 took second place in 2'07″375. Behind the three leading teams expected were Honda Suzuka, FCC TSR Honda, SDG Honda (new name of HARC-PRO) and Astemo Honda, the team of the legendary Shinichi Ito.
COVID-POSITIVE SIMÉON SKIPS SUZUKA 8 HOURS
In tenth position are the reigning world champions from Yoshimura SERT Motul, but for them this is not the good news of the day. Xavier Simeon, as well as several mechanics, have tested positive for COVID-19 and will therefore not be at the start of the Suzuka 8 Hours. It will therefore be replaced by Greg Black, who had been left on the bench in favor of kazuki watanabe for this Japanese round of the FIM EWC.
MORE TOMORROW
The final day of pre-event testing is scheduled for Wednesday at Suzuka, with the race weekend beginning on Friday. The Top 10 Trial will be held on Saturday, and the 8 Hours will begin on Sunday, August 7 at the traditional time of 11:30 a.m. local time, 4:30 a.m. French time.
43RD COCA-COLA SUZUKA 8 HOURS ENDURANCE RACE
Test Session, Ranking Tuesday August 2 (Top 10)
1- Team HRC – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2’06.966
2- YART Yamaha Official Team EWC – Yamaha YZF-R1 – 2’07.375
3- Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 2’07.451
4- Honda Sofukai Suzuka Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2'08.194
5- FCC TSR Honda France – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2'08.260
6- SDG Honda Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2’08.379
7- Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2’08.439
8- S-PULSE Dream Racing ITEC – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 2'08.692
9- TOHO Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2’09.026
10- Yoshimura SERT Motul – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 2’09.033
If we had wanted to adopt a catchy title, we could have chosen “The tricolor flag flies on the last day of pre-event testing for the Suzuka 8 Hours”. And it's true: two days from the official qualifications, three days from the Top-10 and four days from the "race of the races", the YART Yamaha of Niccolò Canepa is in the lead. Associated with Marvin Fritz and Karel Hanika, the R1 n°7 dressed in the colors of Yamalube beat the expected duellists of Kawasaki KRT and Honda HRC by a lap under 2'07”. Confirmation of everything seen so far since testing last July.
RECORD FOR YART AT THE 8 HOURS OF SUZUKA
Mandy Kainz, owner and team manager of the Yamaha in the FIM EWC, was clear on the eve of the event: “ We are aiming for the podium. Not just because there is no Yamaha factory present, but simply because the YART works well at Suzuka. » Third constant force behind (but not that much…) the two factory teams, today it even had the luxury of leading the timesheet. With the 2'06"684 set in the first session (with, so to speak, cooler temperatures) from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. local time, the #1 R7 finished ahead of everyone. An important recognition for
Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Niccolò Canepa which, on Sunday, will equal the Italian record for participations (5) in the 8 Hours held by Daniele Veghini.
JONATHAN REA ON THE TRACK
A very respectable time, if we consider that throughout the day, at the pace of the race, the YART achieved remarkable times. The presence on the track of Jonathan Rea, as well as that ofalex lowes, who arrived in Japan only yesterday for the long journey from Most to the Land of the Rising Sun, legitimized this approach. The trophy holders led the afternoon tests with JR65 in 2'07"157, with the YART just behind (2'07"307) in a session where clouds caused temperatures to drop a few degrees. asphalt (close to 60°!).
HRC AIMS TO RE-OWN THE SUZUKA 8 HOURS
In Wednesday's combined results, Team HRC is in second position and remains, in terms of absolute performance (and not only), the benchmark for the 8 Suzuka 2022 Hours. In search of a victory which it has lacked for eight years , the house with the golden wing has developed a CBR 1000RR-R that looks like a missile, only refining the work these two days. Not without some setbacks, such as the fall of Takumi Takahashi yesterday, which fortunately ended without physical consequences.
REST DAY, THEN QUALIFICATIONS
On Thursday, the 45 teams admitted to the Suzuka 8 Hours will face a “rest day” dedicated to technical checks. On Friday, they will take to the track for the official qualifications which will determine the list of 10 teams admitted to the Top 10 Trial event on Saturday, the 8 Hours starting on Sunday at the traditional time of 11:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m. French time).
43RD COCA-COLA SUZUKA 8 HOURS ENDURANCE RACE
Test Session, Ranking Wednesday August 3 (Top 10)
1- YART Yamaha Official Team EWC – Yamaha YZF-R1 – 2’06.684
2- Team HRC – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2’07.049
3- Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 2’07.157
4- Yoshimura SERT Motul – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – 2’07.624
5- SDG Honda Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2’07.670
6- FCC TSR Honda France – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2'07.761
7- BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team – BMW M 1000 RR – 2’08.427
8- Team Kodama – Yamaha YZF-R1 – 2’08.618
9- Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2’08.619
10- Honda Sofukai Suzuka Racing – Honda CBR 1000RR-R – 2'08.646
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