Yamaha confirms WorldSBK gun as final rider in star-studded factory lineup with Jack Miller and Katsuyuki Nakasuga
Yamaha has confirmed Andrea Locatelli as the third and final piece of its factory lineup for the 2025 Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours, joining endurance legend Katsuyuki Nakasuga and MotoGP star Jack Miller in the Yamaha Racing Team. The Italian WorldSBK ace will make his Suzuka 8 Hours debut aboard the company’s YZF-R1, aiming to end a seven-year drought and help the tuning fork brand secure its first win at the iconic event since 2018.
Locatelli, a long-time protégé of Yamaha, continues to cement his factory credentials with consistent performances in WorldSBK since stepping up to the category in 2021. His breakthrough win at Assen earlier this season, combined with a string of solid results over the years, recently earned him a contract extension that will keep him with the manufacturer through to the end of 2027.
“For me, it is a pleasure to be invited to ride the Suzuka 8 Hours for Yamaha,” Locatelli enthused. “For my whole WorldSBK career, I have been a Yamaha rider and this is an honour, especially as I have just signed a new contract to extend my relationship with Yamaha. It means a lot to me for Yamaha to give me this opportunity; it has been something I have always wanted to do, but to do it with the Yamaha Factory Racing team is really special. Suzuka is an amazing track, and this is a new opportunity and experience for me, so I am very much looking forward to it. Thank you to Yamaha and all of the people working on this project—I can’t wait to go for the test and then the race as we look to achieve the best result for Yamaha in this important race.”
Yamaha’s General Manager of Motorsport Strategy, Tetsu Ono, sees Locatelli as a critical element of an exceptionally well-rounded squad for the next Suzuka challenge.
“First of all, I’m very happy to welcome Andrea to the team,” said Ono. “Him joining completes the third piece of our puzzle, with all three riders bringing something unique to the team. Nakasuga has a wealth of experience on the R1, at the 8 Hours, and around Suzuka Circuit. Miller brings the passion and fighting spirit to fire up the team, and Locatelli has his signature consistency, along with a spirit of challenge and special motivation to take on his first 8 Hours. I’m sure that Team Manager Wataru Yoshikawa can combine the three riders’ strengths, and will add to that the potential of the YZF-R1 that’s been honed through All Japan competition, bringing it all together to get the best possible package to take on this year’s race.”
Looking down the home straight to the August 3rd event, Ono echoed the words of Nakasuga from earlier this year, when Yamaha announced its return as a full factory effort. “For the race on August 3, I think it will be just like Nakasuga said at the team launch in March, when he talked about going back to get our revenge for 2019 with a newly formed factory effort. We want to celebrate Yamaha’s 70th anniversary with an 8 Hours win, and to do it with our fans from all around the world. We’ll be counting on everyone’s cheers and support!”
The 2025 campaign marks Locatelli’s fifth season with the Pata Prometeon Yamaha WorldSBK squad, a journey that began after a title-winning demolition job in WorldSSP back in 2020. That season saw him take 12 wins from 15 races, including a dominant run of nine consecutive victories, earning him the crown and a fast-tracked promotion to WorldSBK.
Once in the premier production-based category, Locatelli impressed immediately. In his rookie 2021 season, he took four podiums on his way to fourth overall and the Rookie of the Year title. By 2022, he had become a WorldSBK mainstay, eventually finishing fifth, and followed that up with fourth and seventh overall in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
This year, he has further underlined his top-tier status with a surging performance early in the season: a third-place finish in Portugal, a runner-up result in Race 1 at Assen, a storming maiden WorldSBK victory in Race 2 at the same Dutch round and two podiums at the most recent Misano round.
With Locatelli’s addition, Yamaha’s Suzuka 8 Hours effort becomes a true blend of experience, flair, and factory ambition. Nakasuga’s decades-long experience at Suzuka and vast knowledge of the R1 machinery, Miller’s raw speed and aggressive racecraft, and Locatelli’s precise, consistent style together offer Yamaha perhaps its best shot yet at returning to the top step.
Johann Zarco to return alongside Takumi Takahashi for Honda
As Yamaha readies its high-profile trio for a renewed factory push at Suzuka, rival manufacturer Honda is equally determined to defend its crown. The formidable pairing of Takumi Takahashi and Johann Zarco will return to the grid, fresh from their dominant victory last year. For Takahashi—already the most successful rider in the event’s history—2025 presents a chance to extend his personal record to an unprecedented seventh Suzuka win, while Zarco, currently racing in MotoGP with CASTROL Honda LCR, will look to go back-to-back in what is fast becoming a second home for the Frenchman. With a combined pedigree built on endurance mastery and top-tier racing experience, Honda HRC is targeting its 31st Suzuka triumph—fuelled by cutting-edge technology, refined team dynamics, and the roaring support of its global fanbase.
