#21 YAMAHA RACING TEAM will be competing in the Suzuka 8 Hours
Celebrating Yamaha’s 70th anniversary! Factory team returns after 6 years
Yamaha will be reviving its factory team for the first time in six years at the 2024 Suzuka 8 Hours. To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the company’s founding, the team will be introducing a YZF-R1 sporting the white and red colors of the company’s racing machines. With this livery, which also symbolizes their challenge, the team will once again aim to reach the top of Suzuka.
This white and red color scheme is a historic design that was first used in the Road Racing World Championship in 1964. It has been loved for many years as a symbol of Yamaha racing, having also been adopted for the YZR500 (0W20) that was introduced when the Yamaha made its debut in the WGP500 in 1973.
The design this time is based on the coloring of the YZF-R7 production racing machine released in 1999. The redesigned speed block beautifully combines the atmosphere of the late 1990s with modern design work.
A stellar lineup of riders will compete in traditional colors
The #21 Yamaha Racing Team brings together top riders from Japan and abroad, including Japan’s ace rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga, MotoGP rider Jack Miller, and fellow MotoGP rider Andrea Locatelli, who will take on Suzuka in the traditional white and red livery.
Comment from Katsuyuki Nakasuga
“I’ve had a long racing career, and I’ve been a part of many milestones for Yamaha, competing in races wearing the traditional colors, which I’m very proud of,” said Nakasuga. Regarding his participation in the 1999 YZF-R7 livery, he couldn’t hide his excitement, saying, “I love this livery, and it looks cool! It’s a unique experience, so I’m really looking forward to racing on this machine.”
On the other hand, he fully understands the weight of tradition, saying, “I feel a lot of pressure because we need to achieve results that live up to these colors.” He emphasized that he is committed to achieving results, just as he did when he participated as a factory team in the past.
Comment from Jack Miller
Australian rider Miller commented, “I’m really excited to be able to race in the Suzuka 8 Hours with the white and red livery,” and described being able to race in these colors on this milestone occasion, marking Yamaha’s 70th anniversary, as “a real pleasure.”
Particularly memorable was his mention of the white and red machine that Agostini used when he won Yamaha’s first WGP500 championship in 1975. “It is truly a great pleasure to be able to compete in a race like the Suzuka 8 Hours wearing such wonderful colors,” he said, showing his respect for the tradition.
Director Yoshikawa Wataru talks about his feelings for the YZF-R7
Team Director Wataru Yoshikawa spoke of his special feelings about the YZF-R7, which served as the basis for the design of this bike, recalling, “The YZF-R7 is a special bike that Yamaha developed as a base model for winning races, following on from the YZF750 that came before it.”
The YZF-R7, which Director Yoshikawa himself was involved in developing, was also the first vehicle to use fuel injection. “We struggled in the first half of the All Japan season, but in the second half we came together and won the championship, so it’s a machine I have a lot of attachment to,” he said, reminiscing about the struggles and glory of that time.
The desire to work in a factory is the driving force
Yoshikawa currently leads the team as a manager, but as a young rider he aspired to join a factory team. “I had a great admiration for the factory teams that used white and red livery and speed blocks, and I was motivated to one day join a factory team and win the championship,” he recalls.
This year, as he takes on the Suzuka 8 Hours as team manager in his coveted livery, he declared with confidence, “I will aim to be in the lead and win, so as not to bring shame to these traditional Yamaha colors.”
The entire pit is coordinated in white and red
For this factory comeback, not only will the machines be white and red, but the entire team will be coordinated in total, including the leather suits of the three riders, the pit shirts of all team staff, and even the pit garage.
This attention to detail shows just how serious Yamaha is about reviving its factory team, and it seems they are also aiming to create a visually impressive presence and put pressure on rival teams.
Yamaha Racing Tradition Since 1964
Yamaha’s white and red livery has a long history, dating back 60 years since its first use in the Road Racing World Championship in 1964. This livery has been used in many memorable occasions, including Yamaha’s first WGP500 challenge in 1973 and Agostini’s first title win in 1975.
The YZF-R7 era in the late 1990s in particular was an important period in which Yamaha’s racing image was solidified, with many victories in the All Japan Championship and the World Superbike Championship. The revival of that iconic livery on the modern YZF-R1 is attracting attention from fans both old and new.
First factory participation in the Suzuka 8 Hours in five years since 2019
Yamaha withdrew its factory team from the Suzuka 8 Hours at the end of 2019, but is making a long-awaited comeback in the milestone year of the company’s 70th anniversary. After a five-year hiatus, the team will return with an even stronger lineup.
Yamaha has won the Suzuka 8 Hours three times in the past, in 1980, 1996, and 2015, and is considered the leading contender for victory in this return race. Nakasuga, in particular, has ample experience at Suzuka, and the two overseas riders also have ample track records at the world’s highest level. This means that there are no blind spots in the rider lineup.
Although the team has not raced since 2019, Yamaha’s technological capabilities and the ability of its riders mean they are well placed to win. The day when the traditional white and red colors will once again stand at the top of Suzuka may be approaching.
