Miller, O’Halloran, Locatelli and Nakasuga share their thoughts on an incredibly gruelling race
Yamaha’s return to the Suzuka 8 Hours proved to be an arduous and intense affair. After a six-year absence from the iconic endurance race, the factory Yamaha Racing Team—featuring Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Jack Miller, and Andrea Locatelli—fought hard in the sweltering Japanese heat to secure a strong second-place finish, completing 217 laps and finishing just 34.243 seconds behind the winners after a tense front-running battle.
The team’s effort was marked by consistency, speed, and determination, with each rider showcasing their strengths during crucial stints. The experience was especially memorable for Miller, who returned to Suzuka for the second time and stood on the podium for the first time in Yamaha colours, and for Locatelli, who broke the race lap record during an impressive debut.
By contrast, Yamaha’s Endurance World Championship regulars, the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, had a much tougher outing. Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika, and Jason O’Halloran showed podium-worthy pace, but crashes and a technical issue ultimately forced them to retire. Despite the disappointment, YART leaves Japan still clinging to a one-point lead in the championship.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga – P2 (217 laps)
“Our second-place finish was thanks to the whole team, including all the riders and crew, and thanks to everyone understanding their role and giving their all. We have to accept the fact that we did everything we could but fell short of our rivals. That said, being able to achieve this much in our first race in six years was positive, we could clearly see where we were lacking against them, and also where we were strong, and that tells us what we need to improve. In that sense, I think it was a valuable race. So, I’m grateful to my two teammates. Despite the short preparation time and only one pre-race test, they managed to raise the level incredibly high. This time, I felt like it was them who pulled me along to getting a podium. If I’d been able to set a better pace, the result might have been different, but honestly, this was an important experience that will lead to future success. In two weeks, we have the All Japan JSB1000 round at Motegi, and after battling through the heat of this race, we’ve found both some positives and some areas for improvement, so I’ll prepare thoroughly and give my all in JSB1000 as well.”
Jack Miller – P2 (217 laps)
“Of course, I wanted to win, but my, we were up against strong competition. Still, second place is nice. It was a great day for me, for Nakasuga-san and for Locatelli. The conditions were hot and extremely difficult, but we managed the race with almost no mistakes. Even with that, we couldn’t catch our rivals, so we need to get stronger and faster, and then come back to the Suzuka 8 Hours and win. This was my second time riding in the 8 Hours, and I got on the podium. Nakasuga-san told me that the view from the podium is amazing, since he’s seen it several times, and he was right! It was truly beautiful. But what I really want is the bigger one, the winner’s trophy. That thing really made me jealous (laughs). But honestly, to ride in the 8 Hours for Yamaha was a wonderful experience. I could feel Yamaha’s philosophy of constantly progressing, and it was an honour to have Yamaha President Shitara join us today. The whole team’s work was impressive, and the fans welcomed us warmly. I definitely want to participate in the 8 Hours again as a Yamaha rider and get my hands on that big trophy!”
Andrea Locatelli – P2 (217 laps)
“It was a super hot and difficult weekend, but Jack, Nakasuga, and I all gave it our best. As a member of the Yamaha family, I’m very proud to have stood on the podium at the Suzuka 8 Hours, and I’m thankful for the support of so many team members. We finished in 2nd place and broke the race circuit record. My name will remain there until at least next year, which is wonderful (laughs). It’s a shame we couldn’t quite set a record in the Top 10 Trial, but overall, the 8 Hours was absolutely amazing! The whole race weekend I spent here in Japan was the best. The track is fantastic, and the atmosphere created by the Japanese fans is unbelievable. While I’ve experienced racing in Japan before, like the Japanese GP at Motegi, the 8 Hours is special. Seeing all the blue lights waving in the stands after dark left me with a feeling I can’t describe. I really can’t put it into words (laughs). I’d say it’s definitely one of the best memories of my life, but I’m so moved that I can’t express it well. Maybe after a few days, looking at all the photos will help me process what happened, but right now I can’t explain it. I’ll take this experience use it to help me in WorldSBK. I believe life is a constant learning process. I take something from every experience and apply it to racing. That’s my approach. We’re professional riders, so we’re able to experience all kinds of things. The 8 Hours is one of them. I’ll take this experience and use it to make another step. That’s what’s needed to overcome any situation and win, and that’s why I want to compete in the 8 Hours again, to win and prove that I’ve taken that next step!”
Marvin Fritz – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team (DNF)
“My first run was good. I had a good start. I was trying to get into a good rhythm and not push too much or make any mistakes, because, of course, we were here for the points. I made the gap to our main competitor bigger – I was maybe two or three seconds behind Nakasuga-san, so it was all good, and we were fighting for the podium. But I also think that in the end, we could have made it back to maybe somewhere between P7 and P9. That would have been good points for the championship, but then, unfortunately, we had a technical issue that made Karel crash and hurt his heel. But that’s life. We’re already thinking about Bol d’Or and fighting for the championship.”
Jason O’Halloran – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team (DNF)
“It’s obviously a shame not to finish the race. My first stint was going quite well until I had a crash in the last chicane. I went in a little bit slower. There were some bikes ahead of me – maybe it unloaded the front tire a little bit too much. I lost the front, so that was a shame, as we were in a good position on the track. The lap time was quite strong, and I felt quite good. I got the bike back and went back out, but I had an issue that I needed to pit for. It’s unfortunate for Karel to have the technical issue and the crash at the end of his second run. It is what it is – you have good luck and bad luck in racing, and you move on to the next one. We still have a 24-hour race and it’s still all to play for.”
Karel Hanika – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team (DNF)
“I’m disappointed, obviously. We were here to fight for the podium, and I think we proved that in the first two stints. I was able to catch up a little bit. Unfortunately, Jason lost the front in the final chicane. That corner is really tricky, so sometimes this happens. Of course, we were a bit behind, but with the vision that we would be in it for the points – because this race is so long. We were able to recover about 15 positions, so that was definitely 10 points or more for us to grab, which would have been super important for this championship. In my last run, I was quite strong. I was happy with the performance. But with two or three laps to go, a technical issue caused me to crash. It’s very unfortunate, but sometimes this is a part of racing. We had six podiums in a row, so we can’t really complain. Now the run is over, so I guess we’ll have to start a new one in Bol d’Or. I know we will come back stronger there, and we will fight for the championship until the last lap.”
Wataru Yoshikawa – Yamaha Racing Team Manager
“To be honest, I feel half joy and half regret. All the riders and the team did their absolute best without question. I’m proud of everyone, and I truly believe they put on a great race. As for the riders, we assembled a group of big talents who are at the top of their game in MotoGP, WorldSBK and All Japan, so I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. And even though we only had one test prior to the event, each rider clearly understood their role, and came together to form a great team. World-class riders are really special! Their riding skills speak for themselves, but what’s most impressive is how everyone is so focused on winning. They’re relentless about victory, never missing even the smallest details, and always proposing new ideas toward that goal. I think the riders really helped us out a lot this time. The staff also did a fantastic job. From pit work to machine development and all kinds of other support, they performed at a very high level that made our six-year gap feel nonexistent. However, I did feel there was a difference from our rivals beyond what the results show. I feel like if we’re serious about competing with rivals this strong, we have to start preparing for the next challenge already and raise our level even further.”
Tetsu Ono – General Manager, Motorsport Strategy Division, Yamaha
“This year’s Suzuka 8 Hours was not only a challenge for the Motorsport Strategy Division, it was also a great chance to celebrate Yamaha’s 70th anniversary. Several departments worked together, and we had 650 employees, including new recruits, come to cheer us on at the race. It was truly an event where our whole company could come together as one, and I believe that everyone who attended was able to feel our passion for racing. Our riders included Japanese rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga, MotoGP rider Jack Miller, and WorldSBK rider Andrea Locatelli, who formed an all-star lineup. The Top 10 Trial was filled with drama, and in the race itself, we faced our rivals head-on, engaging in an exciting battle where we couldn’t afford to make a single mistake. While it was disappointing not to take the win, we gave it our all, and I believe the fans enjoyed the race. I think the riders will be able to use their experiences from the Suzuka 8 Hours as a stepping stone to aim even higher for the rest of this season. We’ll use this disappointment as motivation to deliver even more thrilling moments to our fans. Finally, I want to say thank you for your continued support. We sincerely appreciate it.”
Itaru Fukushima – R1 RACE Project Leader
“Compared to the YZF-R1 from the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours, this year’s R1 showed a clear improvement, as you can see from Locatelli’s qualifying time in the low ’04 range. Based on that, we can say with certainty that we were able to run the race according to plan with no major mistakes. On the other hand, we had some issues that came up with our approach to endurance racing after a six-year gap, with our lap times, fuel consumption, and other aspects of the endurance-spec R1. Racing is an ongoing process where we gain experience and progress, and I’m not only talking about the bike, but also the people in our team as well. If we have another chance, we’ll leverage the experience we gained here in preparation for the 8 Hours, which includes our work in All Japan, to produce an even higher level of performance. About our 2nd place result, it’s disappointing because we could see the potential was there for a higher finish, but we have no regrets about giving it our maximum effort. Thank you to everyone for the continued support.”
Mandy Kainz – Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team Manager
“It’s very disappointing to end the Suzuka 8 Hours in this way. All weekend, the riders and the team did a fantastic job to arrive at this race with a strong pace. After the first crash, we lost some valuable time, but Marvin and Karel still managed to close the gap to the riders ahead. Then Karel had a crash too because of a separate technical issue that we wouldn’t have been able to repair before the end of the race. It’s very unlucky also for Karel, who landed very hard on his right heel. He was in a lot of pain. The whole team wishes him a speedy recovery. Suzuka is always tricky. This, obviously, is not how we imagined today’s race would go. We’ll have to make a strong comeback next year in front of the Japanese fans as well as in the final 2025 round in Bol d’Or in September to continue the fight for the championship title.”
