Tying Unique Personalities Together into Something Stronger

Wataru Yoshikawa, team manager of the Yamaha Racing Team (YRT) keeps an eye on the atmosphere in the team, carefully balancing the riders and staff, always guiding the team forward. While his current focus is on steering his team, in the past he competed himself as a factory rider, just as team stalwart Katsuyuki Nakasuga does, representing Yamaha both in All-Japan competition and in the Suzuka 8 Hours. Recalling those days, he smiles as the interview begins. When asked about the YZF-R1, he says "That bike was not only nice, for me it's really nostalgic" as this year's R1 features the same livery as the original YZF-R7.

"I had quite a strong attachment to the R7. I was involved in testing the production model, and since it was a bike made specifically for racing, I got to make the final decision on its rigidity. In 1999, I won the title with it. It was Yamaha's first racebike with fuel injection, and thinking back on it now, it was hard to ride and definitely had some issues, but I was so motivated. I was really attached to it. That's why I wanted to win the title no matter what. Noriyuki (Haga) was also competing in the World Superbike championship at the time. So, we were competing to see who could win a title on the R7 first, and he just barely beat me. He called me right away! (laughs)." The old stories kept coming, but you could see the joy in Yoshikawa's face as he recalled those days.

"As a rider, my 8 Hours didn't go as planned. I've always been good at long-distance races, and I won a lot of the 200-kilometer races, but I don't know...the 8 Hours is unique, and I often got caught up thinking 'I'll win it no matter what.' I thought I had enough flexibility and could compromise and adapt myself, but in the end, that led to me making a lot of mistakes."

This is the man who now leads the factory team. One major strength that factory teams have is in the selection process of their team members. Yoshikawa will be team manager for his sixth time in an 8 Hours, and he spoke about how this team came together.

"They're not all endurance riders, but they are all top riders in their respective categories, so it's hard. It won't work unless everyone respects each other. That's why we as a team have to present a routine and assign roles, then have each rider carry out their role."

Yamaha factory teams of the past have always fielded talented riders. In 2015, the team included MotoGP riders Pol Espargaró and Bradley Smith. After that, it was big names from WorldSBK; Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark.

"Honestly, I think they all want to be number one and be the center of attention. At their level, that's how it is. But that's also why we divide up the roles. They all want to stand out though. Even on used tires, they all know they can set a certain time, so as riders, they're going to try to show their speed when they get the chance. That's the essence of being a top rider, and it's only natural, as they're all top riders competing on the world stage. But if they push too hard, the team won't be working properly. That's endurance racing for you."

The key to this division of roles is one man: Katsuyuki Nakasuga. "We have Nakasuga determine the correct direction for the setup. Then, based on their first run with the bike, the other riders make a judgement on if they can trust him with the setup or not. If they can, trust is established, and everybody moves forward based on the team's direction. I pay a lot of attention to that. The relationships between the riders are also determined at that point."

The most important role is that of the third rider. In 2015, Bradley Smith was the third rider, then it was Alex Lowes and then Michael van der Mark. "If we could tailor the bike to each individual rider's settings, all three would be able to aim for pole position. But if I can get them to think instead about their role in the team and how that will lead to us winning, I see that as a success." It goes without saying, however, that Yoshikawa is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. He positions Nakasuga, who knows Suzuka, has experience in the 8 Hours, and is familiar with the R1 inside an out, as the team's central pillar, while understanding all of the riders' individual natures and managing them accordingly.

At the time of this interview, the riders' roles had not yet been decided. In the leadup to the race, these will be decided based on several factors, including the rider's ability to ride in the dark, among others. It will be exciting to see how it shakes out for the actual race.

Last year, the race was won with a record-breaking 220 laps. "That's one goal, but we still have issues from 2019 that we need to address. There's always room for improvement. One area is in our pit work, as it's something we haven't been able to work on. Of course speed is important, but stability is, too. In the past, we could manage, but there were some pretty nerve-wracking moments." This why the team repeatedly drilled pit stop practice during the private test on July 3-4.

"I mentioned pit work as an issue, but it's not just that, because the long gap since 2019 affects all of the staff, bikes, and systems. Even the actual 8 Hours rules have changed in various ways. For example the bike's transmission. We're running something quite different from what we run in All Japan. Of course, even just the weight difference has a big effect. I want us to get fully up to date in all those areas to make it an 8 Hours without any negatives."

In 2025, Yamaha Motor will celebrate its 70th anniversary, which includes 70 years of racing. To mark the occasion, the factory team makes a comeback to compete in the biggest race in Japan, the Suzuka 8 Hours. "YART qualifies really well, with all three riders consistently in the 2'05 range, so the regular EWC teams shouldn't be underestimated. But since we're competing as a factory team, obviously our goal is to win. For the fans, the best race is one where the result isn't decided until the final stint. That makes it tough for the team though! (laughs). Still, I believe that the riders, and we as a team, can achieve that."