YRT and YART Impress at Suzuka 8 Hours Pre-Event Test

The Yamaha Racing Team (YRT) - Yamaha's dedicated factory squad for the Suzuka 8 Hours - and the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team (YART) - Yamaha's top-tier FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) contender - launched their Suzuka 8 hours campaigns with a strong form at the pre-event test held on July 30. They presented a united front and delivered competitive performances throughout the day's test sessions, finishing second and third in the overall results ahead of a significant race weekend for Yamaha.

While the "Coca-Cola" Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race event is always iconic, the 46th edition is an extra special occasion as YRT and YART will be on track together sporting matching Yamaha 70th Anniversary liveries to celebrate the brand's 70th anniversary and honor its legendary racing heritage.

Yamaha's factory efforts at Suzuka began in 1984. Prior to 2002, Yamaha fielded star-studded international line-ups and claimed victory four times (1987, 1988, 1990, and 1996). From 2003, Yamaha shifted to a support role, backing Europe-based teams in the EWC. In 2015, Yamaha returned with a full factory team to celebrate its 60th anniversary and the launch of the all-new YZF-R1. That comeback yielded a fifth Suzuka win and sparked a dominant run with three more victories (2016, 2017, and 2018), bringing Yamaha's total to eight.

Following cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the global pandemic and the factory team's absence from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions, the Yamaha Racing Team returns this year with a special anniversary livery on the YZF-R1. Their 2025 bike features the traditional #21 and a design inspired by the 1999 YZF-R7 (raced by current YRT Team Manager Wataru Yoshikawa when he competed in the 1999 Suzuka 8 Hours and took the All Japan Road Racing Superbike title that same year).

The 2025 Official Suzuka 8 Hours Test Day featured five sessions: Session 1 (09:00-10:30), Session 2 (10:45-12:00), Session 3 (13:30-14:30), Session 4 (14:45-16:15), and Session 5 (16:30-18:00). The Yamaha riders faced a demanding schedule under intense summer heat and full sun, making it a true endurance challenge ahead of the race weekend.

Returning to Suzuka Circuit one month after a private test, the Yamaha Racing Team reunited MotoGP star Jack Miller, WorldSBK star Andrea Locatelli, and Suzuka 8 Hours and All Japan Road Race Championship legend Katsuyuki Nakasuga. The trio resumed preparations, making the most of the track time.

In Session 1, Yamaha Racing Team posted a 2'07.143 to secure fifth. In Session 2 they set a 2'07.062, placing fourth in the EWC category. Session 3 saw YRT record the third-fastest EWC time with a 2'07.258. They concluded the day with a 2'05.981 and a 2'06.716, earning them second and third respectively in Sessions 4 and 5. Their best lap time of the day, clocked in Session 4, put them in second place in the combined rankings, 0.336 seconds off the fastest time overall.

YART arrived in Japan leading the 2025 EWC standings, having secured six consecutive podiums, including victory at the 24 Heures Motos in Le Mans, the opening round of the season, and a hard-fought third at the 8 Hours of Spa Motos. That result extended their championship lead to 18 points after two rounds. However, with 35 points available at Suzuka and 65 at the Bol d'Or in September, the title race remains wide open, and thus the team remains fully focused on the task ahead.

Suzuka has proven a successful venue for YART in the past. In 2024, the team claimed its first pole position since 2012 and 2013 - both set by Nakasuga, who joined YART specifically for the event. That same year, YART completed 220 laps, matching the leader and setting a new record for most laps completed in a Suzuka 8 Hours. After factoring in a 40-second penalty for the winning team, YART finished just 7.86 seconds behind, securing a second-place result - their first-ever Suzuka podium.

YART previously tested at Suzuka in June this year. Today's test served to reacclimate riders to the circuit and prepare them for the extreme heat. Riders Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Jason O'Halloran quickly found their rhythm. YART led Session 1 with a 2'06.630. Session 2 saw the team post a 2'07.340 for sixth in the EWC category. In Session 3, they recorded the fifth-fastest EWC time with a 2'07.550. They concluded Sessions 4 and 5 with a 2'06.959 and a 2'06.489 for fifth and second place respectively. Their best time set in Session 5 had them take third place overall, 0.844 seconds from the fastest team.

YAMAHA RACING TEAM

Jack Miller

"It was nice to get back in the swing of things on the R1. You know, you think that you have become comfortable with it, but then you ride the M1 for a few weeks and you come back to the R1 and it feels completely foreign again. But it was a positive day for us - all the boys are going very well, and I think that in general our pace is really good. The track was in decent condition. We are now getting used to riding with a lot of traffic on the track, but this is a part of Suzuka 8 Hours. Like I said, we're just getting used to everything again."

Andrea Locatelli

"First day back in Japan, and I was quite happy riding the bike again - we did a good job today. Unlike the test, we now also need to deal with the traffic on track, but this was a good learning experience and a good opportunity to prepare for the race. We also set a good lap time, so I'm quite happy with everything and let's see. For the race weekend, I think we can be faster and fight for the win -we need to trust in this. We will see, but at the moment it looks like everything is working really well. We are quite happy, and all three of us are doing well. So, we try to keep this going and enjoy this special summer in Suzuka."

Katsuyuki Nakasuga

"We've finally entered race week. Today's riding session ran from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., making for a long day at the track. In the hot conditions, we were able to ride consistently and gain valuable insight into how the bike performs in high temperatures. Just like the previous test, it turned out to be a very productive day. Personally, I had a crash during the previous test, which limited my time on the bike. That's why today, I focused on checking my physical condition and regaining a consistent riding rhythm throughout the day. Being able to confirm both was a significant step forward for me. The other two riders on the team were also riding very well, which gives me a strong sense of confidence. I'm committed to improving my base lap time even further and, together with the team, I want to give everything we've got to fight through the race weekend. Ultimately, our goal is to achieve a strong result in the race and aim for the top as a united team. We'll continue preparing together to make that happen."

Team Manager Wataru Yoshikawa

"We had riding sessions from morning until evening today, under conditions as intense as we can expect from the race day. Fortunately, there were no issues, and all three riders were able to complete their session smoothly. This was our second test with all three riders together. Based on the issues from the previous test, and Jack's feedback, we implemented several improvements and successfully aligned the bike settings. Although there were multiple red flags - and to be honest, we would have liked more time to get further accustomed to the bike - we still feel that we achieved meaningful progress. Looking ahead to the race, we were able to confirm certain scenarios we had anticipated. That said, we do feel that more time is needed. Nevertheless, we are making the most of the time available and preparations are progressing well. As we move into qualifying and the final race, we'll need to further improve our lap times. In particular, we'll continue working hard to ensure we can deliver strong lap times in qualifying. Each rider possesses a high level of skill, and we have full confidence in them."

YAMALUBE YART YAMAHA EWC Official Team

Marvin Fritz

"It was a good day. Honestly, we were a bit confused after the test we had here in June, but today every step we made was in the right direction, which was very positive, and at the end the race pace was quite strong. I did a 2'06.8 for the race pace, and I think it was a second faster than I ever did for the race pace, and the rest of the laps were all 2'07 lows. Of course, we were unlucky with the red flag this afternoon. But, overall, we didn't go for a time attack like the other teams, so we just focused fully on the race pace. Of course, the main target is to beat our main competitors. We are feeling quite confident and happy after today, and I think it's important to start like this also during the race weekend on Friday."

Karel Hanika

"I think it was a good day overall. We did quite a few laps, and we compared some things to what we did during the test we did here in June. We definitely made a step forward because the feeling was better, so I'm pretty happy about that. The team did a very good job, and I'm happy I did one long run, at least, because today that was quite tricky with all the red flags. The race pace was also quite decent, so very happy about that. For sure, there are still a few things to work on for Friday, Saturday, and mainly the race on Sunday, but I think we are not far from where we want to be with our pace and with our performance. So, I'm very happy. Good job by my team and teammates, and I'm looking forward to the race weekend."

Jason O'Halloran

"Today was a good day. We improved the feeling on the bike and the lap time from the test. I had a really good last run. My fastest lap here is a 2'06.4s, which is quite good, and I really enjoyed it. We have a 'day off' tomorrow, and then we come back and start the race week preparations. I think we're in a good place - all three of us are quite fast. I'm looking forward to the next few days."

Team Manager Mandy Kainz

"It was a quite positive day. I think we found finally the right direction for our bike, and made a better tire choice, and we had no problems all day. We just concentrated on the race pace, and I think we found a very good way. I think we are ready for the race event. We had many, many red flags today. But finally, we could make our full program, and every rider completed a long run. It was positive day. I think also the riders are now very happy and motivated. They're ready to fight."