Aussie MotoGP star Jack Miller preps for Suzuka 8 Hours with the Yamaha Racing Team (YRT).
Jack Miller preps for Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race with teammate Andrea Locatelli and Veteran rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga.
On Day 2 of the Suzuka 8 Hours Private Test, Yamaha Racing Team (YRT) riders Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha – WorldSBK) returned to action at the iconic Suzuka Circuit for valuable track time. According to YRT, the typically hot and humid Japanese summer conditions did little to deter the MotoGP and WorldSBK stars, who delivered impressive lap times throughout the day in preparation for the 46th edition of the FIM Endurance World Championship ‘Coca-Cola’ Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race.
Veteran rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga was on hand, observing his teammates’ efforts and offering valuable input throughout the day. With each session, Miller and Locatelli grew in confidence at the Suzuka track and significantly improved their lap times. According to YRT, the momentum gained in the private test will be key heading into the at the Official Suzuka 8 Hours Pre-Event Test held on 30 July, followed by the race weekend held from 1-3 August.
“It was nice to be back here in Suzuka, especially with the R1 – it’s a lot of fun,” said Jack Miller. “The long run with Loka went well today; I think we did a good job together. The pace is good, the speed is okay, and I think that during the race weekend we will find a bit of extra margin when we need it – which is normal. Overall, working with the R1 feels good. I’m getting more and more comfortable with the Suzuka Circuit. It’s a long track, and there are many areas where you can make a mistake. Trying to put a perfect lap together is very difficult, so today was about becoming comfortable with your marks and getting ready for the Suzuka 8 Hours.”
“We did a lot of work today, and we’re really happy with the confidence we have on the bike,” added Andrea Locatelli. “Overall, it was much better than the first day – but that’s normal. On Day 1, we needed to get to know the bike, the track, and a million things around this bike. It was a good Day 2. I’m looking forward to the race weekend. We’ll have more time there to keep improving, get more feeling with the bike, gain more experience with the Bridgestone tyres, and then I think we’ll really be able to enjoy the race.
“I think over the two day test here Jack and Loka got to grips with the bike,” Katsuyuki Nakasuga said. “I’m relieved to see that the base setup we put together in the June test is working well. Because this is an endurance race, we have to share the same bike, so there are some things we all had to adapt to. But I think they both understood this well and improved their performance every time they went out… Even at our present level, I think we can compete against our rivals. But if we can improve our communication a little bit more we can definitely aim for the top step of the podium.”
