Johann Zarco’s first participation in the Suzuka 8 Hours was a total success this year, since the Frenchman, lined up on a Honda with Takumi Takahashi and Teppei Nagoe, won the event. An enchanted parenthesis in a difficult season in MotoGP, and one that he would like to reproduce as quickly as possible.
Zarco could thus be at the start again in 2025. “Maybe yes, if possible”confided the LCR pilot. “I have to look at the calendar and see if it works. With the great adventure this year, it would be good to do it again next year.”
Honda established itself as a specialist this year, while Ducati closely followed the performance of its bike with the prospect of a factory program in the future, knowing that Pecco Bagnaia dreams of competing in the event. For Zarco, Honda must hurry before Gigi Dall’Igna seriously looks at solutions to improve the Panigale.
“I told Honda that we had to progress before Dall’Igna arrived in this category. Otherwise, we won’t win anymore!”he had fun, predicting that Bagnaia “will win with one hand” if he has a Ducati with the solutions imagined by the Italian engineer.
Bagnaia doubts participation in 2025
For the moment, Ducati has contented itself with technical support provided to Yukio Kagayama’s team, and Paolo Ciabatti is working on a potential reinforced program. “There are very fast Ducati riders, like Bagnaia but also [Fabio] Di Giannantonio, who would like to do the 8 Hours of Suzuka”said Ducati’s head of off-road racing, also in charge of overseeing this project, to Motorsport.com.
The 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours will once again be held in the heart of the MotoGP summer break, the 2025 calendar of which is finally known, which could also favor Bagnaia’s participation, but the latter doubts that he will have the necessary time for this test, in the middle of a season that promises to be intense.
“I saw [le calendrier] and maybe if a race is canceled or postponed I can go, but I don’t think they want me to go.”recognized Bagnaia. “It’s already a very tough season, with 22 Grands Prix, 44 races, but I would like [rouler à Suzuka]. It’s one of my biggest dreams.”
“I’ve always dreamed of going to Suzuka and doing the 8 Hours, but maybe I’ll have to wait until I retire. I’m not hoping, because I want to do it before then, being at my best level, but we’ll see. I’ll ask but it’s difficult.
Comments collected by Giacomo Rauli
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