2019 champion Kawasaki lacked the pace to defend its crown on the return of the Suzuka enduro after a two-year hiatus, with Haslam, Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes finishing a lap down on the winning Honda crew comprising Tetsuta Nagashima, Takumi Takahashi and Iker Lecuona.
Although Haslam could battle with Takahashi in the early laps and even briefly took the lead, aided by a safety car appearance, it soon became clear that the ZX-10RR was no match for the CBR1000RR-R and the Kawasaki trio continued to slip backwards during the race.
