Johann Zarco and the Suzuka 8 Hours: a special tribute to a double masterpiece

Johann Zarco and the 2024–2025 victories at the Suzuka 8 Hours are celebrated in the special collection created by Shark Helmets.

The two wins that Johann Zarco secured at the Suzuka 8 Hours, a crucial endurance race for Japanese manufacturers, were a true moment of glory for Honda, but also for all the names that accompanied this double feat. Like Shark, the French helmet brand, which could not fail to honor its compatriot with a collection dedicated precisely to what happened at Suzuka in 2024 and 2025.

From MotoGP to a first triumph in the prestigious “race of races”: that was the 2024 edition for Johann Zarco, victorious aboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R shared with Takumi Takahashi and Kosuke Nagoe, despite a 40-second penalty handed down during the race. In 2025 came the unforgettable repeat, in a race contested by just two riders (him and Takahashi) due to a spate of injuries affecting Honda’s riders across various championships. Shortly after having made history in the MotoGP race in France, Johann Zarco played a major role in another memorable moment for HRC: first pole position, then the final triumph at the Suzuka 8 Hours, the second of his career for the experienced Frenchman. The dream was to make it three this year, but the serious injury from the terrifying crash in Catalonia last May clearly ruled out the possibility of starting the July endurance race.

For this historic double achievement, the French brand, one of the world leaders in motorcycle helmet manufacturing, has created a special collection of its Aeron GP, the model developed specifically for MotoGP and Superbike riders, made entirely of carbon and equipped with an active aerodynamic system capable of adapting its shape based on the position of the rider’s hump on the bike. In this case, the model also features a technical innovation: a new carbon hatch.

Returning to the special collection, it is inspired by Japanese calligraphy and combines several of Zarco’s iconic elements:

A special and unique design to celebrate his story and what he achieved over the past two years at the legendary Suzuka circuit.