2026 FIM EWC Round 3 — Suzuka 8 Hours | Race Report (5 July) · 2nd in SST Class
A safety car at the first rider change cost half a lap, but steady riding and flawless pit work brought Team Étoile back to a Superstock podium on home soil.
Racing on home soil at the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours, Team Étoile lined up in the Superstock class with the #25 BMW M 1000 RR. But at the first rider change, an unlucky safety car intervened: unable to exit the pits, the team lost around half a lap to the leaders right at that moment, putting them in a tough spot.
Even so, the team held firm. All three riders put in steady, mistake-free stints, while the mechanics delivered flawless, rapid pit work every time. The bike's strong fuel economy also worked in the team's favour, letting them make fewer pit stops than their rivals — and position by position, they clawed their way back up the order.
The final result: 2nd in Superstock, 15th overall, 188 laps completed. It was a race in which Team Étoile fought back, on their own merit, from the ground lost to an unlucky safety car. The points earned here also keep the team's championship hopes alive heading into the season finale — the Bol d'Or 24 Hours in September — where the whole team will push for the title.
Full classification (all classes) — Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours 2026 →
Rider & team principal comments
Rider
Hikari Okubo
"Honestly, I'm full of frustration. The safety car came out at such an awkward moment, and we were held for about two minutes right at the pit lane exit — it's genuinely disappointing, and while I don't want to just call it 'bad timing' and leave it at that, I guess that's racing, so there's nothing to be done about it."
"Still, among the teams contesting the full season, we scored more points than anyone else here, so with the SST World Cup title in mind, I want to give everything at the final round, the Bol d'Or."
Rider
Kaito Toba
"In the opening stint I was able to run a good pace. The safety car dropped us way down the order, but from there things gradually settled down, and as a team we were able to fight our way back up to this position, second. My last stint felt almost like a punishment, but since we ended up second, I think it worked out well."
Rider
Motoharu Ito
"Given how wet day two of the week was, our average lap times as a team came up a lot. After day two, I don't think anyone expected us to end up here, so I think we really showed our potential as an endurance racing team."
"Personally, I ran the same set of rain tyres for two stints today, and our experience from Le Mans and Spa really helped me manage that and carry it forward. I want to use that experience and push together as a team toward our goal at the Bol d'Or."
Team Principal
Takashi Ichikawa
"At the timing of our first rider change, a safety car unfortunately came out. Because of that we couldn't exit the pits, and losing around half a lap right there is the most frustrating part."
"But from there, the riders kept up a steady, stable pace, and in the pits our mechanics did flawless, rapid work every time. On top of that, our bike is fuel-efficient, which let us make fewer pit stops than our rivals. All of that added up, and in the end we were able to work our way back to second."
"There was an element of bad luck in the timing of that safety car, but I think we were still able to show our real strength as a team in this race. Beyond taking second in the Superstock class at our home round, the Suzuka 8 Hours, scoring big points here has also kept our hopes alive in the championship fight — and that's a real gain. Heading into the season finale, the Bol d'Or 24 Hours, we want to keep pushing together as one team toward the title. Thank you so much to everyone who supported us."
Photo gallery
Sponsors
