Jack Miller will join the Yamaha Racing Team at the Suzuka 8 Hours, where the team will feature a retro-inspired livery reflecting the brand’s heritage. This special design highlights Yamaha’s 70th anniversary and showcases the Jack Miller Yamaha Suzuka 8 Hours partnership as the factory team returns for a one-off entry.
Yamaha Reveals Retro Livery for Suzuka Endurance Event
The new livery for the factory Yamaha Suzuka 8 Hours bike draws from previous Yamaha designs, as the Iwata-based company taps into its history for this year’s appearance. The reveal follows similar tributes at the Dutch MotoGP, where both the Monster Energy Yamaha and Pramac Yamaha teams displayed a style reminiscent of the original Yamaha R7. The Suzuka machine now mirrors those red, white, and black colors seen at Assen, carrying the #21 designation for Yamaha Racing Team. This continues a tradition of nostalgic liveries at this race, such as the Tech21-themed bike in 2019 and other uses of the red and white scheme in 2018.
Rider Lineup Features Returning and New Faces
Andrea Locatelli, competing at Suzuka for his first time, has been unveiled alongside a race helmet that incorporates imagery linked to both Yamaha and the Suzuka Circuit. Locatelli is joined on the team by Pramac MotoGP rider Jack Miller, who previously competed in the Suzuka 8 Hours with Honda’s HARC-PRO squad in 2018. Rounding out the squad is Katsuyuki Nakasuga, an experienced rider who has collected four Suzuka 8 Hours wins—each achieved with Yamaha during the brand’s four-year victory run from 2015 to 2018.
Factory Team Returns After Hiatus
This year’s Suzuka 8 Hours marks Yamaha’s first factory involvement since its special effort in 2019, with the YART Endurance World Championship team taking over as the official entry from 2022 when the endurance race resumed following the global pandemic. The significance of the event is further underscored by the presence of high-profile names such as Jack Miller, Andrea Locatelli, and Katsuyuki Nakasuga.
Anniversary Celebration Remains Central to Yamaha’s Approach
Yamaha’s livery for Suzuka ties back to the brand’s larger 70th anniversary festivities, uniting past and present while celebrating racing milestones. The inclusion of familiar patterns, historic paint schemes, and star riders underscores Yamaha’s intent to highlight its heritage at one of endurance racing’s prestigious events.
The partnership between notable figures like Miller, Locatelli, and Nakasuga and a tribute design is expected to draw attention as Yamaha aims to add another memorable chapter to its Suzuka 8 Hours story.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Where will Jack Miller go in 2025?
A. Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is happy to share its first update about the 2025 “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race factory riders.
MotoGP rider Jack Miller will rejoin the FIM Endurance World Championship with the factory Yamaha Racing Team, after being away for eight years.
