Jack Miller set for Suzuka 8 Hours return with Yamaha

Yamaha has confirmed its rider line-up for the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours, with an identical three-rider roster to last year.

That means Katsuyuki Nakasuga will again share the factory Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1 with World Superbike rider Andrea Locatelli, and Jack Miller from the Pramac Yamaha team in MotoGP. 

The 2026 line-up was confirmed by a post on social media from Yamaha Racing, and it will be Nakasuga's final time racing the Suzuka 8 Hours, a race he's won four times.

The three were beaten by Honda last year, despite the factory HRC team being down to two riders as a result of Iker Lecuona’s wrist injuries and Xavi Vierge’s visa issues.

HRC will have a different line-up for this year with Jonathan Rea and Johann Zarco aboard the factory Fireblade with seven-time winner Takumi Takahashi.

Between them, Yamaha and Honda have won eight of the last nine editions of the Suzuka 8 Hours, only Kawasaki in 2019 interrupting that run. Yamaha won all four between 2015 and 2018, while Honda has won every race since 2022.

2025 was the first year since 2019 that Yamaha entered a full factory team at the famous Japanese endurance race, with Miller, Locatelli, and Nakasuga aboard the bike. Previous to that, the YART EWC team had been running the official Yamaha effort at the race since the 2022 edition, which was the first one since 2019 after 2020 and 2021 were cancelled for the Covid pandemic.

The Suzuka race has been held at the beginning of August in recent years, but this year it has been moved forward a month to 5 July, taking place a month after the previous round of the Endurance World Championship at Spa on 6 June.

The early July date means no clashes with MotoGP or WorldSBK, hence the participation of Zarco, Miller, and Locatelli this year, but the Snetterton BSB is on the same weekend, meaning riders from the British championship – such as Leon Haslam, who raced for the Kagayama Ducati team last year – will be unable to go.

“I’m absolutely stoked to be lining up for the Suzuka 8 Hours again this year," said Miller.

"Last year was a bit of a tough one, having that off in the Top 10 Trial and then finishing second in the race was pretty frustrating, to be honest. But seeing the massive turnout from the Yamaha fans and staff, and getting to ride with Nakasuga-san and Loka [Andrea Locatelli], plus the team putting in the hard work, it actually turned out to be a real blast. 

"For 2026, the goal is simple. We want to go one better and take pole, take the win, and get ourselves onto that top step for Nakasuga-san’s final year before he hangs up the leathers! 

"With the home crowd, the fans from all over the world, and the whole Yamaha family behind us, we’re going to give it everything we’ve got to make this the best Suzuka 8 Hours yet.”

Andrea Locatelli added: “I got some great news from Japan this year! I’m super thankful to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours again with the factory team. Getting to ride the factory R1 and join incredible teammates like Jack [Miller] and Nakasuga-san is so good for my growth as a rider. 

"This year, our target is to get the win we missed last year. 

"Jack and I were picked to join Nakasuga because we both have 8 Hours experience. 

"We’ll be going against some tough teams, but we’re definitely not losing out to anyone! We’ll do our best to get a great result for all the Yamaha fans!”