Image: Supplied.

Australian MotoGP star Jack Miller has turned his first laps aboard the factory Yamaha YZF-R1 during a private test at Suzuka, marking the lead-up to his debut in the iconic Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan on August 3.

Testing alongside eight-time winner Katsuyuki Nakasuga and WorldSBK regular Andrea Locatelli, Miller began building familiarity with both the bike and the challenging Japanese circuit.

Day one of testing was split into two two-hour sessions under hot and humid conditions, with the focus on set-up refinement and acclimatisation.

Miller and Locatelli made their debut runs on the R1 during FP1, while the afternoon’s FP2 session centred on base setup work and pit-stop rehearsals. The two ended the day within just 0.154 seconds of Nakasuga’s fastest lap in FP2.

“I’m really happy to be back at Suzuka,” said Miller. “Riding the R1 is fun, but the bike and tyres are completely different from what I usually ride in MotoGP. So far, it’s a very easy bike to ride and understand. I’m planning to enjoy it, and I’ll work even harder and keep moving forward.

“If I had to mention any problems for the day, it would be the position of the rear brake pedal. You might be surprised that my feet are smaller than Nakasuga-san’s, so we had to adjust it a bit to fit me. Tomorrow, I’ll try some more things on the bike, and do a few longer runs.”

Miller and the Yamaha Racing Team will be back on track today for two more sessions as testing continues ahead of the official Suzuka 8 Hours test on July 30.