Before looking at this test day ahead of the 8 Suzuka 2025 Hours, the 46th edition which will take place on August 3, let's summarize the various sessions which have already taken place on the Japanese track, generally little reported in terms of action.
Unlike other FIM Endurance Championship events, the Suzuka 8 Hours has its own rules, selection process, and pre-trial schedule.
Thus, they welcome teams registered annually in the EWC, teams qualified thanks to last year's results, teams selected during the Suzuka Sunday RR tests and teams selected on the recommendation of the organizer (!).
And for the various test sessions, even before the official tests which will begin on July 30, and without mentioning the private tests in which Luca marini seriously injured himself, the program is rather busy:
– June 11 offered the “4 manufacturers’ tests”,
– June 12, the “tire manufacturers’ tests”,
– June 18 and 19, “public trials”.
The day of the “4 manufacturers’ tests” took place in the wet, with heavy rain in the morning and less in the afternoon.
In these insignificant conditions, we will only remember that the factory Honda #30 (Johann zarco –Takumi Takahashi) of Team HRC with Japan Post set the morning benchmark in 2'22.492, at least three seconds faster than everyone else, then in 2'18.962 in the afternoon, 3 tenths ahead of Yoshimura SERT Motul. All this in the absence of Yamaha...
The next day, on a dry track and this time with the presence of Yamaha, the day of "tire manufacturers' tests" saw the official Honda record 2'05.738 in the morning, before losing to the official Yamaha in 2'05.670 in the afternoon.
But these two factory machines had the surprise of seeing the BMW #76 driven by Loris Baz et Naomichi Uramoto for the AutoRace Ube Racing Team display 2'05.578.
With tight times, this was the first tangible hierarchy concerning the 46th edition of the 8 Hours.
Wednesday, June 18, the first day of “public trials” with scorching conditions close to those that could be found at the beginning of August.
In the morning, during its 45-minute session, the factory Honda set a time of 2'07.036 ahead of the #17 Astemo Pro Honda, the #76 BMW, the factory Yamaha, the factory BMW, the YART Yamaha and the Yoshimura SERT Motul, all within the same second.
In the following session, the official Honda maintained its advantage by going down to 2'06.484, half a second ahead of the Suzuki #1, the YART Yamaha, the official Yamaha, the official BMW and always that surprising BMW #76!
A third session, this time lasting 75 minutes and taking advantage of falling temperatures, therefore more favorable, saw the domination of the Honda #30 continue, in 2'06.022, or 3 tenths ahead of the BMW #37, the official Yamaha #21, the Honda #17, the BMW #76, the Suzuki #0 CN Challenge and the Suzuki #1. As a reminder, the 2024 pole position was acquired by YART in 2'05.130.
Finally, a final night practice session concluded this first day, with the YART Yamaha in 2'06.862 ahead of the Suzuki CN Challenge, the Suzuki Yoshimura, the Honda HRC, the Kawasaki Webike Tristar and the Ducati of the Kagayama team.
Here is a non-exhaustive ranking of this first day, which nevertheless includes the main contenders:
These tests continue today.
Photo credits and rankings: Bridgestone
Suzuka 8 Hours test
