MotoGP Stars Won't Be At Suzuka 8 Hours Race, Supposedly Because Of Heavy Workload

A scheduling clash means that the MotoGP summer break will take place after the Suzuka 8 Hours race, meaning there's a slim chance premier class riders will take part.

Photo by: Suzuka Circuit

By: Robbie Bacon

Jan 9, at 7:45am ET

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The question of how MotoGP riders compare to regular riders is a tad boring because it's comparing a nuke to a pea shooter. But answering how MotoGP riders compare to other elite short-circuit racers on relatively equal superbike machinery is hella interesting, and partly the reason so many are interested in seeing how Toprak Razgatlıoğlu does in the premier class after coming from WSBK. We usually get a glimpse of this at the Suzuka 8-Hours race, but that's unlikely this year.

Normally, MotoGP's summer break falls perfectly in time to allow chosen riders to compete for their manufacturer in the Suzuka 8 Hours, which takes place between July 3–5 each year. But, since 2025, the MotoGP calendar has been more stacked than ever, featuring 22 races, and the schedule for 2026 places summer break after the German GP (July 10-12). In theory, however, riders could compete.

There's a gap between the Netherlands GP (June 26-28) and the German GP, which would allow riders to compete at Suzuka 8 Hours. But competing would mean that their body takes a beating before the final round, before the summer break, and that's if they manage to stay on the bike—something Luca Marini wasn't fortunate enough to do last year. But none seems more perturbed about MotoGP's scheduling clash than Jack Miller.

Miller was Yamaha's sole MotoGP representative for Yamaha Racing Team (YRT) at Suzuka 8 Hour last year, finishing second behind Honda's team led by Johann Zarco and Takumi Takahashi. But being asked to represent a Japanese OEM at the event is seen as an honor by many MotoGP stars rather than an obligation.

According to Crash, Miller stated, "We'll see, I'd like to do it, but it’ll be tight. It's during the weekend off between Assen and Sachsenring, and takes a little bit to recover from. I’m not saying I can't do it, but whether or not they want me to do it is another thing! I'll ask - the more racing for me the better, but we'll see.”

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It's a big risk to be fair and one that caused Marini to miss three rounds (Aragon, Italy, and the Netherlands) after a crash during testing for the race left him with a dislocated left hip, damage to the ligaments in his left knee, fractures in the sternum and left collarbone, and a right-sided pneumothorax. Miller also suffered a wild high-side during qualifying for the 2025 Suzuka 8 Hours, although he was able to walk away, and qualify in third place—go Miller!

Keep your eyes on this topic as we edge closer to the race to see how manufacturers deal with it, as it's still seen as a major event to win, particularly for the Japanese OEMs, which are racing on home turf.