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, both 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 marked Yamaha’s 70th anniversary, and with it came a new R1 featuring winglets. On this occasion, the factory team made 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 for the anniversary year was—and still remains—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.

Last year’s lineup featured Nakasuga, who played a key role in the team, along with Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP rider Jack Miller and Pata Maxus Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team rider Andrea Locatelli. The team’s YZF-R1 featured a symbolic red and white color scheme. This particular livery paid homage to the YZF-R7 seen in the 1999 Suzuka 8 Hours, and the team competed under the same name as in 1999: the “Yamaha Racing Team.” Their result was a narrow second-place finish with 217 laps complete—the same number as the winner.

Immediately following the race, the decision was made to compete in the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours, triggering a comprehensive review the machine, crew, pit work and race strategy compared to rival teams, with the end result being many refinements made. The YZF-R1 that the team uses is based on the JSB1000 factory bike that Nakasuga and other class champions have been competing on since 2019. Honed through development in the All-Japan Championship, the machine's core acceleration and braking performance have been further refined specifically for the demands of the 8 Hours. The rider lineup of Nakasuga, Miller, and Locatelli remains unchanged from last year. Already having built a foundation of teamwork and achieved a high-level proficiency on the factory YZF-R1, it was determined that they remain the ideal lineup for victory. For this year’s 8 Hours, the team is focused on nothing less than the victory that narrowly eluded them in 2019 and 2025. A win would mark Yamaha’s ninth overall title and a first in seven years.

*Information current as of May 1, 2026.