Honda Superstock victory at Le Mans

Honda celebrates double podium with victory for National Motos Honda FMA and the second place for Dafy-RAC 41-Honda in Superstock category.

The 2025 World Endurance Championship kicked off this weekend at Le Mans with the 48th edition of the 24 Heures Motos with eleven Honda-powered teams taking part in the opening round.

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F.C.C. TSR Honda France secured 8th place after showcasing strong performance and consistency in extremely tricky conditions that caused chaos across the race and resulted in over 120 crashes.

Corentin Perolari, the first rider to take to the handlebars of the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP #5, had a good start from 6th on the grid and completed the first-hour race in second place.

The first part of the race saw a mix of drying track conditions and showers, making tyre choice and staying focused key to getting the most out of the race.

Taiga Hada began his first stint in particularly challenging conditions getting the bike from Alan Techer. The Japanese rider had a small crash but fortunately he could rejoin the race.

During the 7th hour, Hada had another crash while riding in third place. He managed to finish his stint, but when he came into the pits, the team spent about ten minutes checking over the bike.

From that point on, the two French riders took turns through the night. Techer and Perolari set race lap records in the dark, showing the strong performance of the Honda #5 and the riders.

Their efforts throughout the night made the team to get 6 championship points as they crossed in 5^th position the 8-hour race.

After entering the battle for the podium with a series of solid laps from Perolari and Techer in the early morning hours, F.C.C. TSR Honda France’s hopes for a podium finish were vanished when Perolari suffered a crash entering the 15-hour race. The team spent over 30 minutes in the pits for repairs, followed by a second stop shortly after the French rider rejoined the race.

At dawn, the Honda #5 was back in 8th place in the EWC class, earning the team 3 points in the intermediate standings after 16 hours of racing.

A light rain alert less than three hours from the finish, followed by a heavy shower two hours later, added even more unpredictability to the end of the race. Both French riders crashed during their final stints, but thanks to the solid lead built through their earlier performance, the team managed to hold their position in the rankings.

Alan Techer crossed the chequered flag in 8^th place at the end of an elimination race marked by a record number of crashes.

F.C.C. TSR Honda France leaves Le Mans with 26 points and is determined to come back stronger and fight for a victory at the 8 Hours of Spa Motos, the next round of the 2025 EWC season, will take place in Belgium on June 7, 2025 at the Spa Francorchamps circuit.

Mana-Au Competition started on the 23rd place on the grid and finished 15th overall and 10th in the EWC category with a with a completely new recruits for this season, German riders Marco Fetz and Max Schmidt and the French rider Alexis Lamiré. With this result, the Honda #53 secures 14 points in the FIM Endurance World Championship standings.

Tati team AVA6 racing had a strong start to the weekend, lining up 3rd on the grid thanks to a great qualifying performance on their Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. The team formed by Hugo Clère, Randy Krummenacher and new recruit Martin Renaudin was very happy with their strong race pace and team performance, achieving the best qualifying position since the team moved to the FIM Endurance World Championship.

However, from the very start of the race, the team faced some mechanical issues and despite all the technical crew worked tirelessly and with determination to return the bike to racing condition, the Honda #4 was forced to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the race.

Despite the setback, the Tati team AVA6 racing leaves Le Mans with three points in the championship from their qualifying result and is determined to fight for top positions in the next race.

In Superstock category, National Motos Honda FMA delivered another outstanding victory, riding the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP to triumph after winning the 2024 FIM EWC World Cup.

Swiss rider Valentin Suchet started the race from 7^th place in his category.

Despite a promising start, Suchet suffered a minor crash in the opening laps, which dropped the Honda #55 down to 14th place. Fortunately, the incident caused no significant damage, and when Guillaume Raymond took over for his stint, he was able to swiftly bring the team back into podium contention within the opening hours of the race.

By the sixth hour of racing, National Motos Honda FMA took the lead in its category, maintaining a strong pace and consistent stints. As the race entered its final quarter, John Nigon brought the bike into the pits for a scheduled stop during his stint. When Suchet rejoined the track, the team successfully retained its position at the front of the race.

The French team delivered a formidable performance throughout the race, and thanks to the flawless reliability of the Honda #55, combined with avoiding mistakes and keeping the concentration at the highest level possible, Suchet crossed the chequered flag first in the Superstock category, securing an impressive back-to-back victory at the 24 Heures Motos.

Dafy-RAC 41-Honda started in 6^th place from the grid in his category with Chris Leesch riding the Honda CBR1000 RR-R Fireblade SP and, with a strong start, quickly moved the Honda #41 up to the second place in his class.

In the final hour, Kevin Manfredi experienced a chain issue, but fortunately, it happened at the exit of Garage Vert so the Italian rider pushed quite a lot to get the bike back in time and return to the track saving the second place.

Thanks to excellent communication between the riders and strong teamwork throughout the race, the team secured a well-earned runner-up position on the Superstock podium.