2026 FIM EWC Round 2 — 8 Hours of Spa | Private Test Report (June 4)
A rain-tossed opening day of free practice with low track temperatures. Despite two crashes, all riders were unhurt, and by late in the day the team reached its semi-long runs — confirming a solid base in the bike it brought this year.
We’ve completed the opening day of free practice at Spa-Francorchamps.
The morning began in the rain; it dried out for a while, then rain returned in the afternoon. Track temperatures stayed low all day, making it a difficult day spent constantly watching the weather to judge when, and which test, to run.
Spa is a circuit with an exceptionally long lap — the longest any of our riders have raced, and a super-fast one at that, with severe elevation changes. It’s a demanding track where a single lap is barely enough to get a feel for it.
There were two crashes during the running. But all the riders were unhurt and machine damage was kept to a minimum. Late in a difficult day we finally got as far as semi-long runs and began to find a feel. Analysing each crash ourselves so as not to repeat the same mistake — everyone is looking ahead.
On the machine side, both bikes had their own issues, but the mechanics and engineers pinpointed the causes and are preparing them to be trouble-free for tomorrow. The harder the day, the more it tests the underlying strength of a whole pit working toward one goal.
Track time was limited, but the base of the bike we brought this year feels genuinely good, and we are by no means pessimistic. In tomorrow morning’s final free session the three riders will raise their pace, give everything in qualifying, and carry the team into the race in the best possible shape.
We’ll fight to the very end as one team. Thank you for your continued support of Team Étoile.
Rider & team principal comments
Rider
Hikari Okubo
“It turned into a difficult day, but there were positives too — we found a problem before qualifying and were able to move toward solving it. Both my team-mates crashed, but with no injuries and only minimal damage to the bikes, getting through day one properly in conditions like these is an important thing for the team.”
“Even if the setup didn’t progress that much, the base we brought this year is at a really high level, so I don’t feel that pessimistic. Tomorrow’s weather is still uncertain, but we still have free practice in the morning, so I hope all three of us can raise our times there and push to take pole position in qualifying.”
Rider
Kaito Toba
“Nothing has come together yet. I was thrown off by the weather, made a mistake and crashed, so it was an unsatisfying day. We have one session tomorrow morning, so I hope to pull things together to some extent and head into qualifying. The conditions were similar last year too, so I’m not panicking. The bike doesn’t feel bad at all, so I think it’ll work out.”
Rider
Motoharu Ito
“At the end I managed some semi-long running and got a feel for it. I crashed earlier while running in the dry, so I want to analyse that properly myself and make sure it doesn’t happen again as I push through qualifying from tomorrow.”
“Of the two bikes, one was in good shape and the other had a problem. It was close, but I’m told the problem has been solved, so I think tomorrow I’ll be able to attack without hesitation.”
Rider
Rei Toshima
“It was an extremely difficult day, and within that I gave my single lap everything I could. Spa really does have a long lap — the longest I’ve ever ridden. It’s long but also a high-speed course, so it’s quite hard to get a feel for, and with the big elevation changes, one lap wasn’t enough to understand it.”
Team Principal
Takashi Ichikawa
“It was a difficult first day. But more than anything, I’m relieved that everyone got through the day safely. There were two crashes, but the riders were unhurt and damage to the bikes was kept to a minimum. In racing, ‘finishing safely’ is the foundation, and I’m truly grateful that everyone protected that. There were areas where the setup didn’t progress as we’d hoped. Even so, I feel the bike this year is better than in past seasons, and I’m not pessimistic. Being able to track down the causes of the machine issues that came up and move toward solutions each time should mean a great deal over a long endurance race. Some riders were left frustrated by the weather. That’s exactly why I hope the three of them can align their feel in tomorrow morning’s free practice and put out everything we’re capable of in qualifying. I’m sincerely grateful to all the fans who have supported us this far. We’ll keep moving forward step by step tomorrow, so please keep watching over us.”
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