YRT Takes 2nd with Locatelli's 2'04.316, YART in 6th

World-class riding was on display today, Saturday August 2, captivating all at Suzuka Circuit. In the Suzuka 8 Hours Free Practice and Top 10 Trial, MotoGP rider Jack Miller and WorldSBK rider Andrea Locatelli left strong impressions on their red and white YZF-R1.

Free practice began at 2:15 p.m., and up first for the Yamaha Racing Team was Jack Miller. The team made changes to the settings to be ready for the Top 10 Trial, and these paid off as Miller clocked a 2'04.720. It was his fastest time since the pre-event private test, and the pit crew erupted in applause.

When Miller handed off the R1 to Locatelli, the latter did a time attack at the end of the session. He set an impressive time of 2'04.909, demonstrating that the team were already in good shape.

The Top 10 Trial is a time trial session in which two riders from each of the fastest ten teams from the previous day's qualifying session (a total of 20 riders) set laps individually on a clear track. Every year, it proves to be a major highlight of the Suzuka 8 Hours. Unlike the race, which involves long runs and dealing with changeable conditions, this is a pure time attack over a single lap, allowing viewers to see each rider giving it their all.

It was Miller who put his impressive riding skills on display. Unleashing his full potential, he flew around the Suzuka Circuit faster than anyone else, setting the fastest time to that point and thrilling the crowd with a super-fast lap.

Unfortunately however, Miller crashed in the final chicane. He quickly got back on his bike and resumed the lap, but his time was a 2'16.236. Despite demonstrating the unbelievably high level of MotoGP riders, he was unable to record a fast time.

Following Miller's crash, Locatelli got fired up. "It was my first time, so I didn't know what to expect," he reflected. He made a slight mistake in Turn 1 on his flying lap, but he recovered beautifully. He clocked a time of 2'04.316, which was the fastest time at that point, but ultimately the team ended up in 2nd.

When Locatelli returned to the pits, his teammates and the whole crew welcomed him with loud applause and lots of hugs. Although he missed out on pole position, the team got a great morale boost, and overall it was a successful Top 10 Trial in preparation for tomorrow's race.

At 11:30 a.m. on August 3, the Yamaha Racing Team will line up for the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2nd.

The Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team (YART) started the Suzuka 8 Hours Saturday with determination to secure the best possible starting position for tomorrow's race and defend their championship lead. Though the focus of their race weekend efforts has primarily been on race performance, riders Karel Hanika and Marvin Fritz gave it their all during their flying laps in the fiercely competitive Top 10 Trial held in sweltering heat. Ultimately, YART will start the 46th edition of the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race from sixth place.

Karel Hanika was the first of the two nominated YART teammates to set a time in the Top 10 Trial. Although the Czech rider had hoped to break into the 2'04s or 2'05s, his 2'06.132 lap placed the team in provisional fourth once the initial riders from the second group had completed their laps.

Next up was Marvin Fritz. The German rider clawed back valuable time in the final sector, posting a 2'05.729 lap that briefly placed YART in fourth before the final session results. Ultimately, Fritz's performance will have YART line up in sixth place for the traditional Le Mans-style Suzuka 8 Hours start.

While today's Top 10 Trial result didn't earn YART points, the team still carries an 18-point advantage heading into tomorrow's race. With Fritz, Hanika, and teammate Jason O'Halloran all showing competitive race pace around the circuit this weekend, YART is fully committed to defending their position in the FIM EWC championship.

YAMAHA RACING TEAM: 2nd (2'04.316)

Katsuyuki Nakasuga

"I haven't watched the Top 10 Trials from the pits very many times before (laughs), but watching both these guys' high-level riding was inspiring. Especially the final time attack laps had me on the edge of my seat, and as a motorcycle racing fan, I really enjoyed it. In the end, we just missed out on pole with 2nd, but both Loka and Jack put on fantastic performances. I'm thankful to them for getting our team up into 2nd. When Jack crashed, I couldn't help but yell out, "He almost had it!" He was pushing so hard there. Luckily, he wasn't injured, so he quickly shifted his mindset, telling us that he just got a little too fired up! So, I'm not worried at all. Tomorrow, I'll do my part as a member of this amazing team, work together with my teammates, and fight through the 8 Hours. The weekend has been going smoothly so far, and as we've gone along, our teamwork has gotten really good. All three of us have a clear understanding of our roles. Also, the crew's pit work has been steadily improving. If we can maximize our full potential, we should be able to aim for the top spot."

Jack Miller

"Today, we changed the suspension settings a bit during free practice, and my lap times improved dramatically. But at the press conference, everybody wanted to ask me about my crash in the Top 10 Trial! That was a little embarrassing (laughs). Honestly though, I was a bit nervous at the start. After all, it's just one lap. My lap was almost perfect, right up until the final chicane. Changing direction and leaning into the chicane, I was a bit too early, leading to the crash. I gave it my all, anyway. That's what you do in the Top 10 Trial, give it everything you've got. I'm disappointed, but I don't regret it! The goal for tomorrow is simple, to win. Throughout this race weekend, Loka, Nakasuga and I have all been fast and riding strong. I have no doubt we have the advantage over the other teams, so the three of us will work together to give it our all and go for the win."

Andrea Locatelli

"The Top 10 Trial was a bit stressful because Jack crashed, and the team was in a situation where we hadn't set a fast time. Plus, we knew we needed a very fast lap to be up there. Also, it was my first experience with the Top 10 Trial. It was very exciting, but I didn't know how it would turn out (laughs). This is endurance racing, so of course the bike wasn't completely customized for my position and setup. I made a mistake at Turn 1 and went wide. After that, I could pull it together, and even though I just missed out on pole, I think I set a really good lap time. 2nd is also a great starting point for the race. Me, Jack and Nakasuga are well prepared for tomorrow. An 8 Hour race is super long so it's hard to imagine, and there are so many things to think about and be careful of (laughs), but I want to finish with no mistakes and win with this amazing team!"

Team Manager Wataru Yoshikawa

"In the Top 10 Trial, Miller and Locatelli showed some truly world-class riding. I was excited watching them, and as a former racer, it had my blood pumping! (laughs). The way they pushed themselves to the limit showed their high potential as riders. I think it was a good inspiration for Nakasuga, too. For us, 2nd is a great result considering the strong competition we were up against. Jack crashed yesterday and today, but fortunately there were no injuries, and things are going very smoothly overall. The crashes also fostered high level of communication among the riders, giving me the sense that they're growing closer together as a team. Tomorrow's race will be a new story. All the riders are fully aware of their role and responsibilities, so I'm confident we'll be able to put on a great race. Looking at our current situation, I have no doubt we're in position to aim for the overall victory. Still, we have to keep in mind that we're coming back here with a six-year gap. We'll be approaching tomorrow's race with a sense of positive tension."

YAMALUBE YART YAMAHA EWC Official Team: 6th (2'05.729）

Marvin Fritz

"Top 10 Trial was so-so for us. Last year I was able to do a 2'05.1 in qualifying and the Top 10 Trial. This year we couldn't match that. Maybe our race set-up wasn't ideal for that, but on the other hand, we feel good going into the race. We have a super strong pace - our average race pace is faster, so we're confident for tomorrow. For sure, it will be extremely tough in this heat, but that's the same for everyone. We're well-prepared and confident we can achieve a good result."

Karel Hanika

"I'm not happy with my Top 10 Trial. Last year, I crashed, but I think I could have done a 2'04. This year I'm more than a second slower. We set up our bike mainly for the race distance, which will hopefully work out well in the end, but it did mean we lacked one-lap performance. We know we can go much faster here normally, but this year this is the situation. All eyes on tomorrow. It will be a long day and very hard on everyone with this heat. Hopefully we can get a good result."

Jason O'Halloran

"We're looking forward to the race tomorrow. We had the test, and then a few days of riding this race weekend. The race pace looks pretty good. All three of us are similar. It's going to be a hot day. Physically, it's going to be demanding. We're looking forward to getting started and seeing how we end up at the end of the race."

Team Manager Mandy Kainz

"In qualifying, the result was the maximum we could do with the current bike set-up. Luckily, we didn't crash - we just checked the limit. That's it. We'll have a better feeling in the race tomorrow. We're confident going into the race because our pace is good. We knew we'd struggle in qualifying with a single lap, but we're not far off from the other championship contenders, so it's OK."

Top 10 Trial

Pos.	No.	Team	Machine	Best lap
1	30	Honda HRC	Honda	02:004.290
2	21	YAMAHA RACING TEAM	Yamaha	02:04.316
3	76	AutoRace Ube Racing Team	BMW	02:05.001
4	73	SDG Team HARC-PRO. Honda	Honda	02:05.477
5	37	BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM	BMW	02:05.508
6	7	YART - YAMAHA	Yamaha	02:05.729
7	1	YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL	Suzuki	02:06.247
8	3	SDG-DUCATI Team KAGAYAMA	Ducati	02:06.323
9	40	TeamATJ with docomo Business	Honda	02:06.331
10	17	Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing	Honda	02:06.581