The F.C.C. TSR Honda France team started the 24 Heures Motos from fourth on the grid, and an excellent start by French rider Corentin Perolari immediately put the Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade SP in the front group during the opening laps.
Despite not achieving the result they had hoped for, the team showed determination, fighting until the very end and proving once again their never‑give‑up spirit as they now look ahead to the next race ready to battle for victory.
Perolari quickly moved into the race lead and, after a strong 50‑minute stint, handed the Fireblade to Alan Techer, who rejoined in fifth position. By the end of the first hour, the team had fought their way back into the lead. Techer held the advantage early in his stint, and later John McPhee completed his first run aboard the Honda #5, maintaining a solid fourth place in his debut 24‑hour race.
Shortly after the sixth hour, while running in third place, Perolari was involved in a collision and was forced to bring the Honda back to the pits. The crew delivered outstanding work, but the intervention cost around 15 minutes, with the team rejoining 30th overall and 28 laps down.
From that moment, a new race began. By the nine‑hour mark, the team had climbed to 26th overall, and a safety car allowed a strategic pit stop with McPhee returning to the bike.
Throughout the night, strong and consistent stints helped F.C.C. TSR Honda France reach 23rd place at the halfway point, and by the final quarter the Honda #5 had moved up to 19th place.
In the end, thanks to fast, consistent and faultless riding combined with the reliability of the Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade SP, F.C.C. TSR Honda France finished 12th overall and 9th in the EWC class.
The Honda #5 now sits 11th in the championship, determined to fight for victory at the next round, the 8 Hours of Spa Motos, taking place on 5–6 June at the Belgian circuit.
Mana‑Au Competition delivered a strong performance at Le Mans, with Marco Fetz, Kevin Jacob, and Noan Vasta bringing the Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade SP to 7th place in the EWC class.
Starting 20th overall, the French squad showed consistency and pace throughout the 24-hour race. Their steady progression ended in an impressive 9th place overall.
TATI Team AV6 Racing participation came to an early end after the team was forced to retire. The team had lined up seventh on the grid, with Hugo Clère taking the start aboard the Honda #4. Clère delivered an exceptional start, charging up to second place within the first laps. A few laps later, he ran into the gravel but managed to rejoin in ninth position, keeping the team firmly in contention.
Mike Di Meglio took over from Clère and produced a series of consistent, competitive laps that brought the team back up to seventh place by the fifth hour. However, shortly afterwards, the Honda #4 came to a stop on track, and Isaac Viñales was forced to bring the bike into the pits, where the team ultimately had no choice but to retire.
In the Superstock category, Honda No Limits delivered an outstanding performance, securing second place with the Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade SP.
Riders Gabriele Giannini, Miquel Pons, Ricardo Brink, and Doriano Vietti‑Ramus achieved an exceptional result in the demanding 24‑hour race.
Starting from seventh on the Superstock class, the Italian team made steady early progress, climbing to sixth place by the third hour. Hour after hour, the team’s excellent work and race strategy paid off and by the 16‑hour mark, the team pushed into podium contention, running in third position.
Their determination and teamwork through the final hours, made the Honda #44 claim a second place podium.
Another Honda team stepped onto the Superstock podium, as TRT27 AZ Moto clinched a remarkable third‑place finish with riders Thomas Ward, Thomas Oliver, Eemeli Lahti, and Maiku Watanuki delivering a strong and consistent performance aboard the Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade SP.
In the opening laps, Eemeli Lahti suffered a minor crash but quickly recovered, rejoining in ninth position. Through the night, the Honda #27 kept a steady rhythm and held fifth position at the 16‑hour point. In the final stages, TRT27 AZ Moto pushed forward once again, crossing the finish line in a well‑earned third place.
Very close to joining the Honda podium in the Superstock category was Dafy-Kaedear-RAC41 Honda, who finished fourth with riders Diego Poncet, Takeshi Ishizuka, Kevin Manfredi, and James Westmoreland. The team qualified fifth in SST, with Manfredi taking the start aboard the Honda #41. The Italian rider set an impressive pace from the beginning, placing the bike at the front of the class and leading after the opening three hours. By the eight‑hour mark, the squad held a solid second place.
While running in podium contention later in the race, Manfredi was forced to bring the Honda #41 into the pits due to a fuel‑pump issue. After a rapid intervention from the crew, Poncet rejoined in sixth position. The team maintained this place through the 16‑hour mark, but ultimately the Honda #41 crossed the finish line in fourth place, leaving Le Mans with confidence and determination ahead of the next round.
Another Honda‑powered squad completing the 24‑hour race in the Superstock class was Wójcik Racing Team #77. After qualifying a strong third, their promising start was disrupted by an early crash that dropped them to 27th place. The Polish team fought back to 12th by the eighth hour and the Honda #77 finished 9th in their category.
Defending FIM Endurance World Cup Champions, National Motos Honda FMA were forced to retire just six hours before the finish. John Nigon started the race from tenth in the Superstock category aboard the Honda CBR1000RR‑R Fireblade SP #55, delivering a strong opening stint before handing over to Guillaume Raymond, who moved the team up to eighth. With Valentin Suchet unable to rider due to an ankle injury, Philip Steynmaier completed the line‑up.
By hour three, Nigon had pushed the Honda #55 into fourth place, a position the team held through the eight‑hour mark. However, with six hours remaining and the bike running in a promising third place, a mechanical failure forced Steynmaier to retire the Honda #55.
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“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 works well. Now we’ve got the next test at Suzuka, then the race at Spa, and the aim will be to win.”
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“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 give 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.”
F.C.C. TSR Honda France
“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.”
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