Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki claim runner-up finish in legendary Suzuka 8-Hours as Honda triumph for first time since 2014

The race was won by the Team HRC line-up of Tetsuta Nagashima, Takumi Takahashi and Iker Lecuona, who triumphed in the prestigious Endurance World Championship race by over one lap from Rea, Leon Haslam and Alex Lowes. It was Honda’s first victory in the 8-Hours since 2014 and their 28th overall success.

Six-time World Superbike champion Rea became the first British winner of the race in 2012 and claimed a second victory for Kawasaki when the event was last held in 2019.

After qualifying second fastest, KRT led the race on Sunday on the ninth lap and also from lap 29 to 30 in the gruelling eight-hour showdown.

However, Rea’s team lost ground when the pace car was sent onto the circuit, while the Northern Ireland rider later slipped off as he attempted to claw back time, losing more valuable seconds to the official Honda squad.

Rea and his KRT team-mates finished the race strongly on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, with Rea and Haslam completing three stints each, while Lowes managed two as he continues to try and shake off the effects of a recent bout of illness.

The Yoshimura SERT Suzuki team of Gregg Black and Kazuki Watanabe claimed the final rostrum position.

YART Yamaha’s Marvin Fritz, Niccolo Canepa and Karel Hanika had been on course to challenge for the runner-up spot until Fritz tangled with another rider at the Esses at the start of the final hour, thwarting the Austrian team’s chances of a podium.

On Saturday, the event was overshadowed when British rider Gino Rea was involved in a serious crash during practice.

The 32-year-old, from London, was treated at the circuit before transferred to hospital by helicopter.

Japanese news agency Kyodo News said Rea – who was riding for the FCC TSR Honda France team – had been seriously injured in the crash.