The Yamaha Factory Racing Team trio of Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Jack Miller and Andrea Locatelli finished second after completing 188 laps at a rain-hit 47th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours, while Marvin Fritz, Karel Hanika and Leandro Mercado battled to fourth for the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, the reigning FIM Endurance World Champions, to leave Japan with a 19-point lead in the FIM Endurance World Championship standings.
Race day at Suzuka Circuit began under heavy rain, with the 8:30 a.m. warm-up session taking place on a fully wet track. With the race also expected to be held in wet conditions, the short session became an important final preparation for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team (YFRT), as Miller set the team’s pace by adapting quickly to the conditions and recording the second-fastest lap overall.
Nakasuga and Locatelli also completed smooth, trouble-free laps during the warm-up, confirming the factory squad’s readiness for what would become a gruelling wet-weather race. As the session progressed, the rain intensified, track conditions deteriorated and a number of riders crashed, underlining how demanding the eight-hour race would be.
The 47th Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours got underway at 11:30 a.m., but the conditions were far from typical for the Japanese endurance classic. The rain fluctuated throughout the race, while ambient temperatures stayed around 22°C, a stark contrast to the intense midsummer heat usually associated with the event.
Miller was entrusted with the opening stint for YFRT on the Bridgestone-shod #21 Yamaha R1, starting from fifth on the grid. He made immediate progress, briefly moving into third during the frantic opening laps before managing his pace in the tricky conditions. At 12:04 p.m., the first Safety Car period was deployed following an on-track incident, with YFRT taking the opportunity to bring Miller into pit lane from sixth place and hand over to Locatelli.
Seven minutes after Locatelli took over, the Safety Car was deployed for a second time. Although the rain had intensified, the Italian remained calm and completed his stint before handing the bike over to Nakasuga, who delivered a steady and controlled run in front of the home fans.
Miller then returned for his second stint and produced one of the standout performances of the race for YFRT. Despite having limited experience on the R1 in fully wet conditions, the Australian quickly found his rhythm, improving his times with every lap and posting a succession of team-best laps in the 2’16 range. His pace allowed YFRT to overhaul the AutoRace Ube Racing Team machine and move into second, before Miller began to reduce the gap to race leaders Honda HRC.
The team’s strategic rider rotations continued into the late afternoon, with Locatelli taking over at 4:23 p.m. before Miller returned for his final stint at 5:27 p.m. At 6:38 p.m., Locatelli took charge of the final run to the flag and began to cut the gap to the race-leading Honda HRC squad to around 15-20 seconds.
YFRT’s late pursuit was halted when the Safety Car was deployed for a third time with just over 30 minutes remaining due to the worsening conditions. The race was ultimately concluded under neutralised conditions, with YFRT completing 188 laps to secure an impressive second-place finish for the second year in succession.
The podium ceremony provided an emotional end to the race for YFRT, with Miller and Locatelli lifting Nakasuga onto their shoulders in front of the Suzuka fans, recognising the Japanese rider’s contribution to the team and to the event.
YART arrived in Japan leading the FIM Endurance World Championship by 22 points and started Sunday’s race from fourth on the grid after Saturday’s Top 10 Trial was cancelled due to rain and safety concerns. That meant Friday’s combined qualifying classification set the grid, with YART’s 2’05.169 average securing fourth place and two valuable championship points before the race had even begun.
The race began on a wet track after rain had affected the build-up, and although the rain eased at times during the eight hours, Suzuka Circuit never fully dried. With conditions remaining treacherous throughout, consistency, clean riding, tyre management and pit-stop execution became crucial.
YART made a solid start on the #1 Yamaha R1, running sixth at the end of the opening lap before moving into the top five early on. With visibility low and grip levels constantly changing, the team focused on staying out of trouble and keeping itself in contention.
Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/KM99 had started from third on the grid with the #99 R1, but the Belgian-based squad’s race was compromised after just 15 minutes when Florian Marino crashed at Turn 3. Marino was able to bring the damaged bike back to the pits, and although KM99 rejoined the race, the team had lost around ten laps and was left with a recovery mission from that point onwards.
YART continued to run a controlled race through the Safety Car periods and changing levels of rain, staying within reach of the front group while avoiding the kind of mistakes that could have severely damaged its title defence. As the leading teams worked through their pit-stop cycles and different strategies in the wet conditions, Fritz, Hanika and Mercado continued to show competitive pace, while YART’s pit work remained sharp.
As the race moved into its second half, YART stayed in the podium battle, with the championship fight against BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team becoming increasingly important. After the third round of pit stops, YART was running fourth and continuing to push in the battle for the podium places, while also keeping its focus on bringing the bike home cleanly.
The rain never fully cleared, and even when it stopped briefly, the track remained wet. With the race ultimately finishing behind the Safety Car, YART completed 188 laps to finish fourth and secure another important result in the championship fight.
In addition to the two points scored in qualifying, YART secured 19 points during the race and will head to the Bol d’Or season finale with a 19-point advantage at the top of the EWC standings. It was also a major step forward compared to last year’s Suzuka 8 Hours, where the team left Japan without scoring points but still went on to win the EWC title.
KM99 also showed determination to reach the finish after its early setback. Marino, Randy de Puniet and Alessandro Delbianco recovered from the Turn 3 crash to complete 173 laps and finish 30th overall.
The 2026 FIM Endurance World Championship now moves on to the final round of the season, the Bol d’Or at Circuit Paul Ricard in France from 17 to 20 September, where YART will look to defend its 19-point advantage and secure back-to-back world titles.
Suzuka 8 Hours Race Results
Katsuyuki Nakasuga – P2 – 188 laps
Yamaha Factory Racing Team
“For this race weekend I finally got back together with Jack and Loka after a year. In every single session, I could feel their passion, and that gave me even more courage to ride. It helped me do every session at my best, and I believe I fulfilled my role in the best way. I’m very disappointed that I could only ride one stint in the race, and to be honest, that was very frustrating for me. But I respect the team’s decision. I’m so glad I got to team up with Jack and Loka, and I think our crew handled everything with zero mistakes. It was an absolutely amazing 8 Hours. We finished second, but I’m proud because this is a result we all earned together. I’ve raced with MotoGP and SBK riders at the 8 Hours before, and they’ve all treated me with respect. This year made me realise again that the respect itself is the reward for everything I’ve done in my career so far. For the rest of the All Japan season, I plan to ride in a way that lives up to the respect everyone has shown me.”
Jack Miller – P2 – 188 laps
Yamaha Factory Racing Team
“We gave it our all in the 8 Hours! Loka was fantastic, and Nakasuga was amazing too. I’m proud of the efforts we all made here. I’m happy with my own performance, too. I gave it 100 percent, that’s for sure. I struggled in the first stint quite a bit with the rear end, and at that point I was just trying my best to stay in the race. From the second stint on I had absolutely no problems, I could push at full throttle and close the gap to Honda in front of us. We were closing them down, but in the end we couldn’t quite catch them. I think the EWC is super cool, and I absolutely love the 8 Hours as one of its rounds. I’m so honoured I got to do this race and represent MotoGP here. I hope everyone could see that I was giving it my maximum. Last, I want to say this to Nakasuga-san: You really deserve to be called a legend! No matter how difficult the situation, he’s always consistent and brings the fight every time. Sharing a garage with him was a big pleasure for me.”
Andrea Locatelli – P2 – 188 laps
Yamaha Factory Racing Team
“The Suzuka 8 Hours is a crazy race! I love it (laughs). Last year, the heat was almost too much, and this year it rained. The rain is especially tough because so many things can happen, but today the tyres worked perfectly and the R1 felt great, so I could push to the limit. I think our second-place finish is something to be proud of. We earned it through our strong performance. The reason it feels almost like a win is that I know the whole team gave it our all. I have a contract with Yamaha for WorldSBK next year too, so of course I’d love to race the 8 Hours again… (laughs). I feel so lucky to race on the same team as Nakasuga-san. Both last year and this year, he never complained about me being on the team and always treated me with respect. It’s an amazing experience to be able to work with a MotoGP podium finisher. And he’s 44, right? If I were 44, I wouldn’t be competing in such a hard race. I’d be lying on the beach in the sun and enjoying a drink (laughs). I think Nakasuga-san has remarkable talent and determination. I’m super thankful he made me a member of ‘Team Nakasuga’.”
Wataru Yoshikawa – P2 – 188 laps
Yamaha Factory Racing Team, Team Manager
“Toward the end of the race, we were really able to put the pressure on our rivals, and we closed the gap compared to last year. Still, the fact that we took second again shows that we’re lacking in some areas. To be honest, I’m quite disappointed, and I think there’s a lot we can improve on. As a team, I’m sorry we couldn’t turn the outstanding performances of our three riders and our staff into a win. Jack and Loka once again showed me just how amazing world-level riders are. Not only do they have huge talent, but they also have so much hunger to win. Their attention to detail through the weekend was amazing, and the technical feedback they brought was so valuable. I’ve shared a pit with Nakasuga for many years, and I can say that both he and I were very motivated by their approach. As a team, our preparation for the next challenge begins right now. There’s no downtime. I know the riders are just as frustrated as I am with finishing second again. We’re not here to settle for a podium; our only goal is to win.”
Marvin Fritz – P4 – 188 laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“We came here to score as many points as possible, and that is what we did. We go home with 21 points and a 19-point lead, which is amazing. Last year, we left Suzuka with zero points and only a one-point advantage over BMW. Now it is 19, so it is much better than last year. We had amazing pace, the team did an amazing job, and we had good pit stops, so we can be happy with what we did here in Japan. A big thanks to all the Japanese fans who supported us, to the whole team for the amazing work and effort, and to Yamaha Japan for always giving us such a nice welcome. It is always a pleasure to be here in Suzuka.”
Karel Hanika – P4 – 188 laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“I have mixed emotions, to be honest, because of course the target was the podium, but I think we did the maximum possible today in the circumstances. All three riders did a great job; all three of us were fast and consistent, and we were the only team in the top five to use all three riders equally. That gives us confidence for the next races, and we have a good championship lead going into the Bol d’Or, which is the most important thing. The race was super tough. My first stint was one and a half hours in very wet conditions, with a long Safety Car period, so it was very tricky. I managed to pull a gap to BMW in my first stint and also in my second stint, but then they chose a different strategy. Still, it was good points, great teamwork, and Marvin, Tati, and the entire team did a really good job. The pit stops were amazing, like always, and the bike felt strong in all conditions. We have many more points than we had after Suzuka last year, so we need to think positively. Even though P4 is not the best result, we are positive for the next race.”
Leandro Mercado – P4 – 188 laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team
“It was not an easy race in these conditions, but I think we did a good job. The whole team and my teammates did a great job; we made no mistakes, and the pace was really strong. It is good points for the championship, for sure. We wanted the podium because to finish on the podium at Suzuka is special, but looking at the whole picture, I think it is really good because we now have a 19-point gap to BMW. We had strong pace, we made a really clean race with no mistakes, and the pit stops were really fast and perfect. I am also happy with my own performance. It was my first time here with YART. I felt really good, and now we have to think about the Bol d’Or.”
Mandy Kainz – P4 – 188 laps
Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team, Team Manager
“It was a very tough race in difficult conditions, but Marvin, Karel, Tati and the whole team did an excellent job. Of course, we came here aiming for the podium, so fourth place is not the result we wanted, but for the championship, it is very important. We made no mistakes, the riders were fast and consistent, and the pit stops were strong, so we can be satisfied with the way we managed the race. Suzuka was difficult for us last year, when we left with no points, so to go home this time with 21 points from the weekend and a 19-point lead in the championship is positive. BMW was strong today, but we stayed focused on our own race and brought the bike home in very tricky conditions. Now the focus is fully on the Bol d’Or, where we will give everything to defend our world title.”
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