The Yamaha Factory Team rode the YZF-R1 to secure a second-place podium finish at the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours race.
The Yamaha Factory Racing Team entered three world-class riders—Jack Miller, Andrea Locatelli, and Katsuyuki Nakasuga—to chase success at the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in 2026 at Suzuka Circuit, Japan, aboard the Yamaha YZF-R1 race bike.
Throughout the weekend, the Yamaha factory riders demonstrated outstanding capability, from practice sessions through qualifying, earning a 5th place starting grid position ahead of the final race.
The endurance battle faced unpredictable weather, with rain alternating with dry track conditions, forcing all teams to continuously adjust strategies regarding tire selection, bike control, and race management over the full 8 hours.
Despite these tough conditions, Jack Miller, Andrea Locatelli, and Katsuyuki Nakasuga maintained excellent race pace, taking turns extracting the Yamaha YZF-R1's performance to consistently chase the leaders, eventually accelerating in the final phase to move into 2nd place in the last hour, just one lap behind the leader, creating a winning opportunity until the race’s final moments.
However, after heavy rain made the track unsafe, race officials decided to end the race early, resulting in the Yamaha Factory Racing Team securing 2nd place on the podium with a total of 188 laps completed.
Team manager Wataru Yoshikawa said,
“In the closing stages, we were able to put strong pressure on our rivals and reduced the gap from last year, but finishing second again shows we still have many areas to improve.”
“I feel disappointed that we couldn’t convert the excellent efforts of our three riders and the team into a victory. Jack and Locatelli demonstrated world-class rider qualities—the speed, determination, and technical feedback that have significantly elevated our team.”
“I have worked with Nakasuga in the pits for many years and have always been inspired by his approach. Every rider shares my disappointment because we didn’t come here just to be satisfied with a podium. Our only goal is victory.”