Locatelli helped Yamaha secure a Suzuka podium: “That was a mad race”

The 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours demanded everything from the riders. Constant rain, changing grip conditions and several safety car periods turned this endurance classic into a real test of patience. World Superbike rider Andrea Locatelli, driving for the Yamaha works team, was one of the race’s key figures and, after finishing second, was impressed by the conditions. Together with team-mate Jack Miller and Suzuka veteran Katsuyuki Nakasuga, who was making his farewell appearance, ‘Loka’ secured a podium finish for the Yamaha works team.

“The 8 Hours of Suzuka was a mad race,” said the Italian after crossing the finish line. “Last year it was extremely hot; this time it rained practically the whole race. Eight hours in the rain are incredibly challenging. It probably looks exciting from the sofa, but on the motorbike every single lap was difficult.”

In particular, lapping slower bikes and the constantly changing track conditions demanded the utmost concentration. “You had to constantly overtake slower riders. On top of that, there was oil on the track from a broken-down motorbike. In dry conditions, everything is more predictable; in the rain, however, you never know what to expect in the next corner.”

Safety car thwarted Yamaha’s final push

Despite the difficult conditions, Locatelli was satisfied with his team’s performance. Yamaha fought for victory right up until the final stages, before a long safety car period brought their chase of Honda HRC to an end.

The Italian surprised everyone with high praise for the race organisers. “They did a really good job. To be honest, I was initially surprised that the safety car was sent out so late in the race. But the rain was extremely heavy, especially at Spoon 1 and Spoon 2.”

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10.07.2026 - 11:15

Erneut auf Platz 2: Yamaha mit Locatelli, Nakasuga und Miller

Foto: FIM EWC

Speaking from his own experience, Locatelli ultimately understood the decision. “I’d already had a really bad feeling there. The bike was constantly skidding and it was getting really dangerous. We saw several more crashes. So it was probably the right decision.”

In the end, Yamaha had to settle for second place, just as they did last year. For Locatelli, however, it was still a result the team can be proud of. “I think we deserved second place because we performed very well even under these conditions. Now we just have to keep going. I’m very happy to be representing Yamaha.”

Finally, the Italian had words of praise for the winners from Honda HRC: “Congratulations to the winners. They’ve done a great job – as always.”

The final standings of the 2026 Suzuka 8 Hours:

1. Honda HRC (Rea, Takahashi, Chantra), Honda CBR1000RR-R, 188 laps

2. Yamaha Factory Racing (Nakasuga, Miller, Locatelli), Yamaha R1, +1:34.280 minutes

3. BMW Endurance (Reiterberger, Odendaal, van der Mark), BMW M1000RR, +1:44.087

4. YART (Hanika, Fritz, Mercado), Yamaha R1, +3:44.444

5. AutoRace Ube Racing (Uramoto, Guintoli, Ponsson), BMW M1000RR, +3:46.113

6. SERT (Black, Linfoot, Atsumi), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +2 laps

7. Suzuki CN Challenge (Tsuda, Mizuno, Masson), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +2 laps

8. SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda (Kunii, Nagoe, Abe), Honda CBR1000RR-R, +3 laps

9. Honda Asia-Dream Racing (Atiratphuvapat, Pawi, Putra), Honda CBR1000RR-R, +4 laps

10. Team ATJ (Iwata, Suzuki, Kunimine), Suzuki GSX-R1000R, +4 laps