Team HRC with Japan Post Fourth Fastest Again in Day 2 of Tests
On Thursday June 20, the second day of test sessions organized by Suzuka Circuit was held at Suzuka Circuit in preparation for the Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race (Suzuka 8 Hours).
The 40 participating teams were once again divided into groups A and B. For each group, an 80-minute Session 5 in the morning, and a 90-minute Session 6 in the afternoon was allocated.
In Session 5, Team HRC with Japan Post (Takumi Takahashi / Teppei Nagoe / Johann Zarco) set the 5th fastest lap with 2’06.671 and in Session 6, 4th fastest with 2’06.385.
Johann Zarco of Team HRC with Japan Post conducted a long run, and despite leaving the track at one point, he set better-than-expected average times. Nagoe also completed a long run, achieving the best average time for the tests so far. Takahashi focused on overcoming issues and succeeded in finding a positive direction for improving the bike’s setup.
Moving forward, Team HRC with Japan Post will continue preparing for the race using the times of other teams as benchmarks.
Takahashi’s best lap time was 2’08.490, Nagoe’s was 2’06.385, and Zarco’s was 2’06.671.
Overall, Team HRC with Japan Post was 4th fastest with a best lap time of 2’06.385.
Full Results Courtesy of Suzuka Circuit
Takumi Takahashi 30
“On Day 2, I only did two or three laps. Due to the limits on the number of tires, our objective in these tests was to have Zarco learn the track, improve his average times, and get a feel for the pace. I think we achieved that. The temperature was much cooler today than we expected, but I believe we managed to check what we wanted to. Even though I didn’t get many laps to test the bike, I left with a positive impression. I will work on fine-tuning the bike during race weekend.”
Teppei Nagoe 30
“Due to the tire limit, I didn’t ride in the morning session, but in the afternoon, I was able to do a long run. I think we made progress as I could maintain the pace up towards the end. We have been doing long runs at every test, and a 27-lap stint is becoming less of a challenge for me. I heard that Takahashi worked on the bike and found a good direction, and I think we are improving overall. I received clear advice, and I feel that I have grown as a person. I hope to show the results of my efforts in the race.”
Johann Zarco 30
“I was able to learn the track by riding a lot during these two days. Takahashi is very fast, so I tried to learn from him as much as possible. I think we had a really enjoyable test. MotoGP races last about 40 minutes, but a Suzuka 8 Hours stint lasts an hour. I had never raced for such a long time before. I was nervous on Day 1 because it was all new to me, but gradually I became more relaxed and could ride better. I think I will perform better in the race. I will have MotoGP races between now and the Suzuka 8 Hours, but I will try to keep this feeling as long as possible so that I don’t forget it when I return to Suzuka.”
