LCR Honda MotoGP star Johann Zarco returns to the Suzuka 8 Hours this August, aiming to defend his 2024 victory in Japan’s prestigious spherical of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
The Frenchman made a sensational debut at Suzuka final 12 months, serving to ship a 3rd straight win for Honda.
Now, the 34-year-old will as soon as once more line-up for the manufacturing facility squad alongside Takumi Takahashi and new team-mate Iker Lecuona.
Zarco heads to Suzuka buoyed by a victory and podium in MotoGP this season, the place he’s the highest Honda rider after ten of twenty-two rounds.
“I’m more than happy to be again as a member of Honda HRC on this conventional and prestigious race,” Zarco mentioned throughout a current Suzuka take a look at.
“I’ll convey my good momentum from MotoGP to Suzuka and, clearly with this trio, we’re in competition to win.
“Whether or not we’ll have sufficient margin to win is one thing I do not know, and we’ll nonetheless need to do all the pieces proper.
“However Iker had some superb checks after me. My checks have been good. We have been nonetheless in a position to work properly and get an excellent really feel for the rain… This allowed us to assemble data for tyre administration.
“Then, on the second day, we have been in a position to do fairly a couple of laps within the dry and take a look at many settings.”
Suspension swap for 2025
Zarco defined that the largest technical change on the manufacturing facility Honda CBR1000RR-R for this 12 months’s race is the suspension.
“The most important change is the suspension. Final 12 months we rode with Showa suspension, whereas this 12 months we’re utilizing Ohlins suspension,” he mentioned
“In order that was the precedence of the checks: establishing the bike with this new suspension.
“I actually favored the steadiness the Ohlins present throughout braking. I believe there’s nonetheless work to be completed, particularly on the benefit of driving to be quicker with out having to push tougher.”
Better function in set-up
Now a Suzuka winner, Zarco says he’s taken on a extra lively function in bike set-up, though he nonetheless believes circuit data is vital.
“Since I managed to set an excellent tempo from the primary take a look at, I used to be in a position to strive totally different settings on the bike,” he mentioned.
“The aim was to offer suggestions and knowledge to Honda and thus examine it with what Takumi Takashi, my team-mate, would possibly like.
“Regardless of all the pieces, I believe Suzuka is a really technical monitor, and it is by figuring out the monitor that you may save essentially the most time, moderately than making an attempt to set the bike up completely for various driving kinds.”
Zarco welcomes Miller
Zarco gained’t be the one present MotoGP rider on the occasion with Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller driving for the manufacturing facility Yamaha workforce.
The Australian is making his return to Suzuka for the primary time since 2017.
“I dared to tackle the problem final 12 months and I loved it, and the victory was nice,” Zarco mentioned.
“I believe Jack’s presence is an effective factor for Yamaha; it will give them [another competitive] bike along with the YART one. He’ll even have some good riders with him.
“Moreover, for Jack, this is probably not the perfect time for him proper now, and if it really works out properly, it is going to definitely permit him to attain factors with Yamaha [as a company].”
The forty sixth version of the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race takes place from August 1-3, earlier than which Zarco and Miller shall be competing within the German and Czech MotoGP rounds.
