F.C.C. TSR Honda France did not receive the recognition it deserved for its performance at the 2026 Coca-Cola 8 Hours of Suzuka. Having been in contention at the forefront for much of the race despite difficult conditions, the team saw its hopes dashed following a technical issue that ultimately relegated it to mid-table.
The third round of the 2026 FIM EWC World Endurance Championship, the Coca-Cola 8 Hours of Suzuka, once again provided a race full of twists and turns at the legendary Japanese circuit, despite the weather being cooler and wetter than usual.
Starting from 6th on the grid following a strong qualifying session, the #5 Honda CBR1000RR-R SP set off on a wet track fitted with wet-weather tyres, which it kept on until the finish, as did the rest of the field. During a particularly eventful first hour of the race, marked by numerous crashes and incidents, Corentin Perolari got off to a solid start. Setting the second-fastest lap time of the race with a lap of 2’19.1, the Frenchman quickly propelled the team up to 4th place.
The two lengthy safety car periods, combined with the constant shift between rain and a drying track, but never really dry, made riding conditions particularly tricky. Despite a strong performance from John McPhee during his stint, the turning point of the race came when Alan Techer had a technical problem halfway through the race. Forced to push the bike back to the pits, the F.C.C. TSR Honda France team rejoined the race in 39th position, 11 laps behind the leader.
The rest of the race saw the team face a long climb in conditions that remained highly changeable. Nevertheless, the riders did not let up and set a new race lap record of 2’18.490 for the #5 Honda, which was subsequently improved to 2’17.386, though this was not enough to make up the gap they had fallen behind.
With the final 30 minutes of the race taking place under a third neutralisation period following a sharp deterioration in weather conditions, the team finally crossed the chequered flag in 26th place, earning them 1 point and bringing their total to 19 points in the championship.
The FIM EWC World Championship will conclude on 19 September with the Bol d’Or, held at the Paul Ricard circuit (France), offering F.C.C. TSR Honda France a final opportunity to end the season on a high note, reflecting its true potential.
Alan Techer“Unfortunately it wasn’t the result we were hoping for. Despite that, we’ve shown good pace all week in every type of condition. Whether it was wet, mixed, or dry, the bike worked really well and we were competitive throughout. We put together a very strong weekend overall, including a solid qualifying performance. Unfortunately, we suffered a technical issue towards the end of the race, which prevented us from achieving the result we deserved. Now the priority is to understand exactly what happened, learn from it, and make sure we come back even stronger. We’ll work hard to be fully prepared and fight for a good result at the Bol d’Or.”
Corentin Perolari“I’m pleased with how the week went overall. We qualified well and showed strong pace from the start. The track was wet, but I got away well and really enjoyed battling with riders like Jack Miller and Michael Van Der Mark. Fighting with riders of that level confirms that both I and the team have the speed to be competitive. Once again, a top-five finish was within reach, but unfortunately a technical issue ended our chances. That’s part of endurance racing and we have to accept it. Now our focus turns to the Bol d’Or. Alan and I know we have the pace, John will be experiencing the race for the first time, and we’ll be working hard to finish the season with a strong result.”
John Mcphee“It’s a real shame for the whole team because we didn’t get the result that all the hard work and effort throughout the week deserved. The positives are clear, though. All three riders showed strong pace, and we proved we had the speed to fight for a top-five finish. We were competitive in every condition—wet, dry and mixed—and the bike worked well throughout the weekend. Unfortunately, endurance racing doesn’t always reward the effort you put in, and this time we were hit by a technical issue. We’ll take the positives, keep building on the pace we’ve shown, and head to the Bol d’Or determined to finish the season with the result the team deserves.”
