Yamaha Factory Racing Secures Second At Suzuka 8-Hour
Yamaha Factory Racing finished second at the Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race in Japan, with riders Jack Miller, Andrea Locatelli, and Katsuyuki Nakasuga completing 188 laps before officials halted competition due to deteriorating weather condi
Yamaha Factory Racing Team fielded three world-class riders—Jack Miller, Andrea Locatelli, and Katsuyuki Nakasuga—in the legendary Suzuka 8-Hour endurance race at Suzuka Circuit in Japan with their Yamaha YZF-R1.
Throughout the weekend, the factory team's champions demonstrated outstanding performance from practice through qualifying, securing fifth on the grid before the main race commenced.
The intense competition faced challenging weather with alternating rain and dry track conditions throughout the race. This forced all teams to adjust their strategies regarding tire selection, vehicle control, and race management over the eight-hour duration.
Despite facing difficult conditions, Jack Miller, Andrea Locatelli, and Katsuyuki Nakasuga maintained excellent race pace, taking turns to extract maximum performance from the Yamaha YZF-R1 as they continuously pressured the leading positions. In the final stages, they accelerated hard and moved up to secure second place in the final hour, trailing the leader by just one lap while keeping the victory within reach until the race's conclusion.
However, when heavy rain fell and track conditions deteriorated beyond safe racing standards, race officials decided to end the competition early. This resulted in Yamaha Factory Racing Team claiming the podium finish in second place with a total of 188 laps completed.
Team Manager Wataru Yoshikawa stated:
"In the final stages of the race, we managed to pressure our competitors well and reduced the gap from last year. But finishing second again shows there are still many areas we need to develop."
"I feel disappointed we couldn't convert the outstanding performance of all three riders and our team into a victory. Jack and Loca demonstrated the caliber of world-class riders—their speed, determination, and technical feedback greatly elevated our team."
"I've worked with Nakasuga in the pit for many years and have always been inspired by his work approach. Every rider, like myself, is disappointed because we didn't come here just to be satisfied with a podium finish. Our only goal is victory."
