F.C.C. TSR Honda France was a front-runner for much of the 2026 8 Hours of Spa Motos before a mechanical issue brought its hopes to a premature end. Firmly established in the leading group, the Franco-Japanese team was ultimately forced to retire while battling for a podium finish.
Following yesterday’s qualifying session, which saw them secure a solid third place on the starting grid, F.C.C. TSR Honda France approached the second round of the 2026 FIM EWC World Championship with the goal of returning to the forefront at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where the team had enjoyed success last season.
As soon as the flag dropped, Corentin Perolari got off to a flying start and moved the #5 Honda CBR 1000 RR-R Fireblade, fitted with Bridgestone tyres, into second place on the very first lap. Quickly finding his pace, the French rider even briefly took the lead before engaging in a fierce battle for the top spot.
As the stints went by, F.C.C. TSR Honda France confirmed its competitiveness, firmly establishing itself among the main contenders for the podium. Despite changeable weather conditions, with several showers requiring careful tyre change management, F.C.C. TSR Honda France remained in contention for the podium during the first half of the race, even setting a new race lap record of 2’19.750.
But after once again skilfully navigating a spell of rain, Alan Techer encountered his first mechanical issue. A technical problem then forced the team to carry out a lengthy pit stop. Stuck in the pits for over three minutes, the #5 Honda lost a number of places. John McPhee eventually returned to the track but was forced to return prematurely during his second stint. Despite the technical team’s efforts to resolve the issue, the team led by Masakazu Fujii was ultimately forced to retire.
Having already secured three points thanks to its third-place finish in qualifying, F.C.C. TSR Honda France leaves Spa in 12th place in the world championship standings with 18 points.
Although the final result does not reflect the level of performance shown during the race, the potential and competitiveness demonstrated in challenging conditions mean the Franco-Japanese team can look forward with ambition to the Suzuka 8 Hours, the third round of the 2026 FIM EWC World Championship, which will take place in Japan on 5 July.
Alan Techer“We had a bit of a tough start to the week, but we quickly turned things around, and all three of us—Corentin, John, and I—were fast. Up until this morning, we’d found solutions, particularly with the chassis. We managed to stay in front in third place, fighting for the podium, but we had to retire due to a technical issue. The tyres were working well, and so was the bike—until now. It’s a bit frustrating because we’re giving it our all and we’re not being rewarded.”
Corentin Perolari“All three riders had a good feeling, whether in wet or dry conditions. With these somewhat unusual race conditions, we had to play our cards right with the pit stops and not make any mistakes. When it started raining, I pitted at the right time. Alan went out on rain tyres, did his job, and moved up to bike #11. We also set the fastest lap of the race. It’s a shame it ended like this because I think the podium was within reach. We had good tests at Suzuka; we have the speed, so we can get a good result if we make it to the finish.”
John Mcphee“Honestly, it was a really tricky weekend with the weather conditions and not so many laps. So I think everybody in the team, the riders, the crew, everyone did a great job to, first of all come P3 in the qualifications, and then make a very strong first half of the race. We were fighting for the podium, so this was really nice. And, you know, anything could happen. Still a lot of hours to go, so we were chasing hard for the podium. But unfortunately we had to retire early in the race. Everyone is super motivated now going to Suzuka. We know we can be fast there, and we’ll try to finish the second half of the season fighting only for victories and to be as strong as possible.”
