Yamaha Announces 2025 Racing Plans, Factory Return to Suzuka 8 Hours

With a strong lineup and a nod to its rich racing heritage, Yamaha is set to make a bold statement at Suzuka in 2025.

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Yamaha Motor unveiled its motorsports plans for the 2025 season during the Yamaha Motorsports Media Conference held on March 20 in Tokyo. The event highlighted Yamaha’s racing lineups for the All Japan Road Race, Motocross, and Trial championships, alongside the official reveal of the factory racebikes in each category.

A major announcement at the event was Yamaha’s return to the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race with a factory entry for the first time since 2019. The 46th edition of the iconic endurance race, scheduled for August 1-3, 2025, at Suzuka Circuit, marks a key moment in Yamaha’s 70th-anniversary celebrations.

The Yamaha Racing Team will compete aboard a special-edition YZF-R1, featuring a red and white livery inspired by Yamaha’s 1999 YZF-R7, which raced in the Suzuka 8 Hours that same year. The team will also revive the 1999 Yamaha Racing Team branding, with a retro-themed team logo, garage setup, and apparel.

The rider lineup will be led by Katsuyuki Nakasuga, a 12-time JSB1000 champion and four-time Suzuka 8 Hours winner. His two teammates will be selected from Yamaha’s MotoGP and WorldSBK ranks. The factory team will be managed by Wataru Yoshikawa, a former Yamaha factory rider who competed in the 1999 Suzuka 8 Hours on the YZF-R7 and won an All Japan title on the same machine.

Yamaha’s return to Suzuka underscores its commitment to motorsports heritage and excellence. As one of Japan’s premier motorcycle races, the Suzuka 8 Hours remains a global showcase of endurance racing, and Yamaha is determined to reclaim victory in front of passionate fans worldwide.