YAMAHA TEAMS

#21Yamaha Racing Team

  • ClassEWC
  • TyresBridgestone
#21 Yamaha Racing Team

Yamaha Motor’s first factory entry in the Suzuka 8 Hours was in 1984 with riders Shinichi Ueno and Hiroyuki Kawasaki riding an XJ750. After that the first Yamaha victory came in 1987 with riders Martin Wimmer and Kevin Magee, then it was followed up in 1988 and again in 1989 on a YZF750 ridden by Magee and Wayne Rainey, who would go on to win three consecutive 500cc titles. 8 Hours win number four came in 1996 at the hands of a young duo: 22-year-old Colin Edwards and 21-year-old Noriyuki Haga. Following that, Yamaha made further factory entries every year until 2002.

The factory team returned in 2015 for Yamaha’s 60th anniversary. This coincided with the launch of a fully redesigned YZF-R1, and the 8 Hours factory machine made its return after 13 years with the legendary #21 on its front fairing. The team included All-Japan competitor and dominant champion Katsuyuki Nakasuga at the core of the team alongside top MotoGP and WorldSBK riders. The team won four consecutive 8 Hours races through 2018, writing a new page in Yamaha’s history and illustrating the strong potential of the YZF-R1.

Aiming for a fifth consecutive win in 2019, with two minutes left in the race, the team was in 2nd when the leaders crashed, resulting in a provisional win. The result was reversed after post-race deliberations, and the team finished 2nd. Although they narrowly missed out on their goal, they brought excitement and a dramatic twist to the event. From that year onward, Yamaha elected to suspend factory entries in the 8 Hours.

2025 marks Yamaha’s 70th anniversary, and with it a new R1 for this year features winglets. On this occasion, the factory team makes its return after a six-year hiatus (since 2019) with the aim of demonstrating the R1’s competitive level to the world once again. The goal is to deliver kando and gratitude as we undertake the challenge of winning the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours.

*Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous feeling of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that people experience when they encounter something of exceptional value.

Selected for the Yamaha Racing Team’s rider lineup are Katsuyuki Nakasuga, who plays a key role in the team, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider Jack Miller, and Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team rider Andrea Locatelli.

The team’s YZF-R1 features a symbolic red and white color scheme to celebrate Yamaha’s 70th anniversary. This particular livery pays homage to the YZF-R7 seen in the 1999 Suzuka 8 Hours. The factory team in 1999 was called the “Yamaha Racing Team” (YRT), so for 2025 the team’s name was changed to align with the original.

The YZF-R1’s performance and potential have been honed as well. Since 2019, Nakasuga and other JSB1000 championship-winning riders have worked to refine two main elements of its fundamental performance: acceleration and deceleration. On top of this, the bike received winglets in 2025. Taking a lead role in testing these winglets was Nakasuga, as he and the development team worked to find the ideal shape, mounting position, and other refinements with the goal of improving wheelie control and cornering stability to raise the R1’s performance even further.

Race day will see strong rivals lined up from both in and outside Japan, but it could turn into a Yamaha vs. Yamaha affair, as EWC front-runners YART will also be competing on a YZF-R1. For YRT though, the aim is to reclaim the elusive 8 Hours victory that escaped the team’s grasp in 2019. This year’s 8 Hours is certainly not one to be missed.


Katsuyuki Nakasuga

Katsuyuki Nakasuga

  • NationalityJapanese
  • BornAugust 9, 1981

From 2000 to 2004, Katsuyuki Nakasuga raced in the All-Japan GP250 series, and in 2005 he moved up to JSB1000, the pinnacle class of superbike racing in Japan. In 2006 he signed a contract to ride for Yamaha, and with the help of team manager Wataru Yoshikawa, he steadily improved until his first JSB1000 race win came in 2007. He followed that up by winning the title in 2008 and was well on his way to being recognized as a top-tier rider. Since then, he has shattered several All Japan records, scoring 91 wins (as of the end of Round 2 in 2025) and winning 12 championships, including five titles back-to-back.

Nakasuga is also a development rider for Yamaha’s MotoGP bike, the YZR-M1, and has ridden as a replacement rider in MotoGP, including in the Japanese GP several times. In 2012, he shocked the world by finishing second at the final round of the MotoGP season in Valencia and becoming the sixteenth Japanese rider to finish on the podium in the premier class.

In 2005, he was entered as the team’s third rider for the 8 Hours, but did not end up competing in the race. He first raced the event in 2006, and since then he has entered as one of Yamaha’s top riders, at times as part of Yamaha’s top All Japan teams, and at times as part of teams from outside Japan like YART.

With the revival of the factory effort in 2015, Nakasuga became the team’s central rider. He was responsible for putting together a base bike setting for his teammates who were some of the world's top riders at the time. As team leader, he united the team and led them to victory, playing a key role in Yamaha's four consecutive 8 Hours wins.

In 2025, Nakasuga is a veteran rider at the age of 44, yet he continues to grow and evolve as he learns from his teammates and rivals. He is currently leading the standings in his bid to win a 13th All Japan JSB1000 title. For the 8 Hours, he will continue his process of evolution, taking even more inspiration from his MotoGP and WorldSBK teammates. He will put it all on the line to bring the 8 Hours trophy to Yamaha for our 70th anniversary.

Racing Career
YearResultsSuzuka 8 Hours Results
200512th in All Japan JSB1000 class
20069th in All Japan JSB1000 classDNF
20074th in All Japan JSB1000 classDNF
2008All Japan JSB1000 Champion5th place
2009All Japan JSB1000 Champion
20104th in All Japan JSB1000 class
20115th in All Japan JSB1000 classDNF
2012All Japan JSB1000 ChampionDNF
2013All Japan JSB1000 Champion8th place
2014All Japan JSB1000 Champion4th place
2015All Japan JSB1000 ChampionWinner
2016All Japan JSB1000 ChampionWinner
20176th in All Japan JSB1000 classWinner
2018All Japan JSB1000 ChampionWinner
2019All Japan JSB1000 Champion2nd place
20207th in All Japan JSB1000 clas
2021All Japan JSB1000 Champion
2022All Japan JSB1000 Champion
2023All Japan JSB1000 Champion
20245th in All Japan JSB1000 class
Jack Miller

Jack Miller

  • NationalityAustralian
  • BornJanuary 18, 1995

Jack Miller made his debut in 2011 in the 125cc world championship, then began full time competition in 2012. In 2014 he finished 2nd in Moto3, and in 2015 he made the big leap up from Moto3 directly to MotoGP.

Following a tough rookie season, Miller started the 2016 season with a broken leg, but took a stunning maiden win at the 2016 Dutch GP in heavy rain at the Dutch TT in Assen. That season, his win in addition to several top-10 finishes helped him establish himself in the most competitive road racing series in the world, MotoGP.

In 2019, he finished 8th overall with five podiums, and in 2020 he showed consistent pace, placing 7th for the season with four podium finishes. In 2021 he had a career-best result of 4th overall with five podiums, including two wins. Then in 2022, he won the Japanese GP on his way to wrapping up the season in 5th having scored seven podiums.

Miller has continued to compete in MotoGP, becoming a Yamaha factory rider in 2025 as he joined the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team. He has quickly adapted to the YZR-M1 and continues to perform well, and this season has scored a 5th place finish at Round 3, the Grand Prix of The Americas.

In 2017, Miller competed in the 8 Hours for a rival team and finished 4th. This year as he races the 8 Hours YZF-R1 for the first time, just like he does in MotoGP, he will bring his experience, knowledge, passion, and fighting spirit to the team.

Racing Career
YearResultsSuzuka 8 Hours Results
2011Contested 125cc World Championship
201223rd in Moto3 World Championship
20137th in Moto3 World Championship
20142nd in Moto3 World Championship
201519th in MotoGP World Championship
201618th in MotoGP World Championship
201711th in MotoGP World Championship4th place
201813th in MotoGP World Championship
20198th in MotoGP World Championship
20207th in MotoGP World Championship
20215th in MotoGP World Championship
20225th in MotoGP World Championship
202311th in MotoGP World Championship
202414th in MotoGP World Championship
Andrea Locatelli

Andrea Locatelli

  • NationalityItalian
  • BornOctober 16, 1996

In 2013, Andrea Locatelli made a wildcard entry in the Moto3 World Championship, then began fulltime competition the following year in 2014, where he finished 9th overall with two 2nd places in Germany and Australia in 2016. After these strong results, he stepped up to Moto2 in 2017, then consistently scored points in 2018 and 2019, finishing 15th and 18th respectively. He then switched categories to the Supersport World Championship (WorldSSP) in 2020.

Riding the YZF-R6, Locatelli showed tremendous potential as a rookie, winning 12 of the 15 races, including an astonishing nine consecutive wins starting with the season opener, taking seven pole positions and winning the title with a record-breaking 333 points. In 2021, he stepped up to the Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) as a member of the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team.

In his debut season, he finished 4th overall taking four podium finishes. He was named Rookie of the Year, and played a big role in Yamaha winning both the team and manufacturers titles. 2022 and beyond were positive seasons on the R1 and in 2025, his fifth season riding for Yamaha, he finished 2nd in Race 1 at Round 3 at Assen, then followed it up with a career-first WorldSBK win in race 2. It was a clear illustration of his progress he has made in the class, and at the end of May, his contract was renewed through 2027.

Although he comes into the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours with no experience at Suzuka Circuit, he brings the experience gained racing the R1 in the world’s premier class of production racing. With this he can push the Yamaha Racing Team to even greater heights toward lifting a ninth 8 Hours trophy.

Racing Career
YearResultsSuzuka 8 Hours Results
2014Contested Moto3 World Championship
201520th in Moto3 World Championship
20169th in Moto3 World Championship
201728th in Moto2 World Championship
201815th in Moto2 World Championship
201918th in Moto2 World Championship
2020World Supersport Champion
20214th in World Superbike Championship
20225th in World Superbike Championship
20234th in World Superbike Championship
20247th in World Superbike Championship

YZF-R1

#21 Yamaha Racing Team
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