The 49th edition of the legendary 24‑hour race, held from 18 to 19 April at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, features 14 Honda powered teams on the entry list.
Two‑time world champions F.C.C. TSR Honda France, competing with the Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade SP, begin the 2026 season with clear ambitions of fighting for the title once again, with a new rider lineup made up of Frenchmen Alan Techer and Corentin Perolari and Scottish experienced rider John McPhee and with Jordi Torres joining the team as a reserved rider.
Qualifying took place over two days, beginning on Thursday 16 April at 3:50 pm, with all three main riders focusing on working under race‑simulation conditions.
Techer opened the qualifying session with a 1:35.745, placed in seventh position. Perolari, despite a red‑flag interruption and a full session restart, delivered a 1:35.845 to secure fifth.. McPhee posted a 1:36.901 for ninth in the red‑riders group, while Torres completed the session in eleventh with a 1:38.343.
The second qualifying session began at 10:20 am on Friday 18 April in cooler conditions, with every rider improving on their previous best times as the Honda #5 focused fully on qualifying performance.
Techer encountered minor issues and suffered a small crash at the end of his run, but still improved to 1:35.594. Perolari, with only three flying laps, produced an outstanding 1:34.418, finishing second in his group. McPhee continued his progress with a 1:35.785, and Torres closed the session with a 1:37.747.
With a final average time of 1:35.006, calculated from the two fastest riders across both sessions, F.C.C. TSR Honda France secured fourth place on the grid, earning two championship points and positioning themselves as strong contenders for victory.
Tati Team AVA6 Racing completed qualifying with an average lap of 1:35.348, placing seventh on the grid aboard their Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade SP. The team introduces two new riders for 2026, Mike Di Meglio and Isaac Viñales, who join Hugo Clère and Martin Renaudin on the Honda #4.
In the Superstock category, 4 Honda powered teams finished inside the top seven.
Wójcik Racing Team #77 SST set the third‑fastest time in class with a 1:37.145, followed closely by 2025 runner‑up Dafy‑Kaedear‑RAC41‑Honda in fifth. TRT27 AZ Moto secured sixth place, and Honda No Limits took seventh.
Defending Superstock champions National Motos Honda FMA finished tenth, despite Valentin Suchet riding despite an ankle injury.
The 49th edition of the 24 Heures Motos will start at 15:00 (CEST) on Saturday, 18 April, and conclude at 15:00 (CEST) on Sunday, 19 April.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“It wasn’t the qualifying result we’d hoped for because we had a few minor issues, and I crashed at the end of the session. As a rider, you always want to push to be at the front. Tomorrow is race day. I think we’re really solid in race pace. Corentin set a very, very good lap time. John did too, so that will help him take a step forward. So we’re quite confident for tomorrow.”
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“Yesterday we worked on race pace. So today was really all about qualifying. Alan had a minor crash at the end of the session, but it was nothing serious. So I had to take to the track on the race bike, but I felt good. I did three laps and managed to clock a lap time of 1:34, so that’s very good. I don’t know who’ll be starting the race, but John rode well too, I think we’re consistent, and that’s good for the race.”
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“It’s been a really productive practice and qualifying sessions. Lap by lap I’ve been understanding the bike more and the tires more and the way to work with the team. So I’m really happy with the progress we made. Yesterday in the evening I made the night practice, which for me was the first time in my life to ride a bike in the night with the headlights. So that was really cool. I actually enjoyed it. Today it was the first time that I used the soft tyre. Of course, the other two guys have more pace than me, but the tyre was working well. I felt good. I managed to improve my lap time. But the most important is now to focus on the race. It’s gonna be a long 24 hours, a completely new experience for me, which is keeping me excited and motivated. So let’s see how we go.”
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