2026 FIM EWC Round 1 — 24 Hours of Le Mans | Race Report (18–19 April)

"I had a slightly slow start this time, but I recovered calmly and focused on saving fuel in the SST class battle at the front. Rather than force any overtakes, I used slipstreams effectively to build a good rhythm, and I was able to hand the bike over to Kaito Toba after a strong first stint. Up until qualifying, both Kaito and I had put in lap-record-breaking performances, and the team was heading into race day in excellent shape."

"Unfortunately, a mechanical issue appeared early in the race and knocked us out of the fight for victory. Even so, the team never gave up — we kept responding to crashes and issues and kept pushing towards the finish together. Personally, I took on more stints during the night to give Kaito time to rest, barely sleeping until dawn and riding his share as well as mine. Thanks to that, Kaito was able to unleash repeated fastest laps in the morning hours, and with Rei and Motoharu also putting in consistent, machine-preserving stints, we were able to mount a genuine team recovery."

"Finishing 13th in SST is a painful result, but I think it was an incredibly valuable experience for the team. In our first year of entry, simply completing Le Mans was enough to feel satisfied — now, in our third year, the entire team feels frustration at not being able to win. That is a change in mindset I couldn't have imagined in year one, and I believe it's proof that the whole team has become meaningfully stronger."

"In terms of the Championship, we've had a tough start, but three rounds remain, and because the series uses a drop-score system, a comeback is certainly possible. We want to deliver solid results in the two upcoming 8-hour rounds and carry that momentum into the final round, the Bol d'Or 24 Hours. As a team, we'll keep fighting with everything we have for the Championship title."

"Having finished the 24-hour race, I'm at least glad we managed to reach the finish. That said, we came up short of the result we had targeted, and I have to admit it was a deeply frustrating race."

"With mechanical trouble and crashes along the way, the race turned into a difficult recovery effort. Even though I pushed to claw back positions, I wasn't able to recover as much ground as I wanted, and I can't say I'm satisfied with the content of the race."

"Still, being able to see the race through to the checkered flag under those conditions is an experience that will carry into the next round. I'll take a hard look at the lessons from this race and work on delivering better performance in the next one. Thank you for your continued support."

"Having just finished the 24-hour race, I'm first of all relieved that we were able to complete the distance safely. At the same time, since we had prepared so well as a team from the tests onward, the fact that we couldn't translate that into a better result leaves me with a strong sense of frustration and disappointment."

"Even so, I think it's something to be proud of as a team that nobody ever gave up and we all made it to the checkered flag together. During the first rider change, when we hit a mechanical issue, the swap was decided based on Kaito's judgement — he understood the problem firsthand and chose to take the stint. In the end he crashed, but I still believe that decision itself was the right one, and it will certainly be a valuable experience going forward."

"In the stints that followed, with the support of everyone around me, I was able to focus on my own role. Even after crashes, the team kept its never-give-up attitude, and seeing the look in everyone's eyes made me feel I had to step up as well. Being able to complete all of my own stints without any crashes this year is one result I want to view positively."

"The huge amount of support we received via YouTube and other channels was a real source of strength. In particular, being encouraged by Ikuhiro's commitment throughout the 24-hour broadcast helped me push through to the finish. Thank you very much."

"This season still has the 8-hour rounds at Spa and Suzuka, as well as the Bol d'Or 24 Hours. I'll make sure to use the experience and data we gained here, and keep pushing as a team for the results we're after."

"This was my very first 24-hour endurance race, and honestly I didn't really know how to manage my own stamina or pace my effort. I essentially ran the race by following the pace and the instructions given to me by the team. We came into the weekend in excellent shape — taking pole position in qualifying — which made it all the more frustrating to lose so much ground to mechanical problems in the race itself, dropping to close to last place."

"Even so, as a team we kept pushing, and in the end we were able to take the checkered flag in 13th in the SST class. Being able to see the race through under those tough circumstances is something I want to count as a real achievement."

"A personal highlight for me was being entrusted with a fuel-saving stint — something I had never done before. At the moment when saving fuel could reduce our total number of stints, I was able to complete around 41 laps without significantly dropping pace, and I feel that was a real contribution to the team."

"Through this race I gained both a clearer view of my own areas to improve and many lessons going forward. I'll take all of this into next week's All Japan round and then into the Bol d'Or 24 Hours, the next endurance race I'll be racing. As the fourth rider, working in critical moments such as engine-life management, I want to keep growing. Thank you very much to everyone at Team Étoile and to everyone supporting us from Japan."

"Our build-up to the race was ideal — pole position in qualifying, a new lap record, everything was flowing. Precisely because of that, I'm genuinely disappointed that we were knocked out of the victory fight by mechanical issues so early in the race. Even so, the fact that all four riders pushed on to the finish without ever giving up is, to me, a clear sign of the team's growth. We will take every lesson from this race to Spa, and we will make sure it leads to results."