Starting from 4th place on the grid for the 2026 24 Heures Motos, F.C.C. TSR Honda France was among the frontrunners for much of the race before a collision compromised its ambitions. The team finished 12th, yet still secured 15 points for the championship and confirmed the potential of its package.

At the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans, the venue for the 49th edition of the 24 Heures Motos – the opening round of the 2026 FIM EWC Championship, held in front of 76,700 spectators – F.C.C. TSR Honda France confirmed its stated ambitions after finishing fourth in qualifying.

Right from the start, which took place on Saturday 18 April at 3pm, Corentin Perolari made his mark with a blistering start that pushed him into second place. He set a steady pace and pulled away alongside the race leader. The first part of the race remained under control. Alan Techer put in some solid stints, while John McPhee confirmed his rising form in his first 24-hour race. Corentin Perolari firmly established the #5 Honda CBR 1000RR-R Fireblade in 3rd place, but the safety car’s intervention following an engine failure by a competitor caused the team to lose its advantage.

While battling for a podium finish, the #5 Honda crashed following a collision, requiring several minutes of repairs, and returned to the track in 30th position, 28 laps behind the race leader. A long and determined fight back ensued, with the three riders maintaining a competitive pace despite heavy traffic. The significant performance gaps between competitors also demanded heightened concentration.

At dawn, Corentin Perolari set a new race lap record of 1:35.698. Despite a few warning signs from the electronics, the #5 Honda continued to improve, breaking into the top 15 by mid-morning.

The end of the race, marked by another 28-minute safety car period, dealt a significant blow to the Franco-Japanese team’s chances of climbing further up the standings.

The team crossed the finish line in 12th place (9th in the EWC class), securing a further 13 points. This result, which brings their total to 15 points, does not reflect the potential the team showed during the early stages of the race, but confirms the speed of the trio of riders and the performance of the machine fitted with its Bridgestone tyres.

Despite the combined efforts of the riders and the entire technical team, the #5 Honda took 11th place in the championship, determined to take its revenge at the 8 Hours of Spa Motos, which will take place at the Belgian circuit on 5 and 6 June 2026.

Alan Techer – rider

“It wasn’t the result we’d hoped for. I think we really had the pace. We were three homogeneous riders. Corentin was very fast throughout the race. We proved that the bike could be fast and consistent. Unfortunately, we had a small crash and it was a bit tough for everyone. But we had to finish and pick up the points. A championship, even with just four races, is still long. Next up is Spa, where we’re usually really strong with Corentin, and John has shown he’s quick too, so that bodes well. Now we’ve got the next test at Suzuka, then the race at Spa, and the aim will be to win.”

Corentin Perolari – rider

“We started 4th on the grid; I got off to a great start and had a good first stint, building up a lead of 10–15 seconds. My stints were consistent and fast, with a race lap record. But during the night, I collided with another rider, so that cost us time. The mechanics did a brilliant job. In 15 minutes, the bike was fixed. As my elbow was hurting a bit, I skipped a stint and then got back into the pace until the end. We didn’t let up. My teammates did the job and were very fast and consistent too. I’m a bit disappointed about that crash, but it’s part of racing. We’re scoring points, that’s the main thing. There are still three races to go, so it was important not to give up.”

John McPhee – rider

“My first Le Mans 24 hour race is complete and it was an amazing experience. First, I wanna say a massive thank you to all my team because everyone worked so hard through the whole week to give us the best chance. It was a shame with the crash early in the race but it’s such a long race, these things can happen and both my teammates were super fast. The Honda was extremely reliable. I gained a lot of experience about the bike, about the tyres and understood the whole package. I was happy honestly with my performance because I managed not to make any mistakes. In the night especially, I made my fastest lap time which was only half a second from the fastest lap of the race. There’s always room to improve, but it’s a good starting point and I think if we continue working like this, we can go to Spa and fight for the victory.”