- Yamaha to compete at Suzuka 8H race in August 2025
- R1 will be decked with iconic livery
Yamaha has announced its comeback to the iconic Suzuka 8 Hours race this year. The brand had last competed at the Japan round of the FIM World Endurance Championship in 2019.
The factory team is prepping to contest at the race event scheduled from 1-3 August 2025. It also marks Yamaha’s 70th anniversary since it was founded on 1 July 1955 and raced in the Mount Fuji Ascent race just 10 days later. Paying homage to its history, Yamaha has also decced up the race-spec YZF-R1 with heritage livery.
The red and white paint scheme has been an iconic colour scheme associated with the Japanese brand. It is more significant to the team manager- Wataru Yoshikawa, who raced the YZF-R7 in the same livery at the 1999 Suzuka 8 Hours. Other than the paint scheme, Yamaha is also using the updated version of the logo used in the 90s and the motorcycle also features the number 21 on the fairing that harks back to 1985 when the team was sponsored by Shiseido skincare through its Tech 21 range. That said, even the rider and team clothing to the pit garage will be seen wearing Yamaha’s 1999 colours.
Now, onboard is four-time Suzuka 8 hours winner Katsuyuki Nakasuga. He was not only part of Yamaha’s Suzuka victory in 2018 but has a total of 89 race victories and 12 championship titles in the All Japan Road Race Championship’s JSB1000 category. The other two slots have yet to be announced.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see Yamaha bring out the recently updated R1 in this iconic livery in production-spec!
