After seven seasons in MotoGP, Takaaki Nakagami will turn a page in his career. The Japanese driver, who announced his retirement from racing at the end of the season, will begin a new chapter within Honda.
The 2024 MotoGP season will mark the end of the career of Takaaki Nakagami in the premier category. The Japanese rider, who spent six years in Moto2 before making his MotoGP debut, will leave the team LCR Honda after the season finale at Barcelonaleaving its place to Somkiat Chantra for 2025. A Thai successor that the Japanese will take care of: “ I will be alongside Somkiat Chantra because he asked me for help, to try to guide him, to test the bike before getting on the MotoGP, if I explain everything to him, it's too much. I just want to tell him to do it naturallyto ride the bike and see how different it is between a Moto2 and a MotoGP ».
But before turning this page, Nakagami will close its European adventure with a last test in Barcelonawhere he will help his successor in the transition.
Nakagami experienced strong moments, notably one pole position and three fourth placesbut never managed to capitalize on these performances to achieve a podium in MotoGP. This situation is largely explained by the technical difficulties of Honda in recent years. After spending several years in Sant Cugat del Vallès, in Catalonia, Nakagami is preparing to return home to Chiba, near Tokyo, where a new role at Honda l’attend.
Takaaki Nakagami : « as a Honda test driver, my lap times will not be five seconds slower than those of regular drivers »
The pilot of 32 ans will now support tests in Japan, a role similar to that of his predecessor, Tetsuta Nagashima. « Honda wants to accelerate the development of motorcycles in Japan“, confides Nakagami. With his experience and competitive lap times, he will become a key link in the development process, having to test parts more quickly than his predecessor. “ I'm faster than himmy lap times will not be five seconds slower than those of regular drivers“, he explains.
The end of his adventure in Europe will mark a big change for Nakagamiwho lived for ten years in Spain. “ My lifestyle will completely change “, he admits. He will now have to adapt to his new environment and the conditions in Japan, while ensuring that he maintains his physical fitness. The role of test pilot in Europe and Japan is still unclear, but one thing is certain: Nakagami will continue to play a crucial role in Honda.
The 2024 does not simply mark the end of a career in MotoGP for Nakagamibut also the start of a new phase in his life, where he will continue to be involved in the sport in a meaningful way, but from a different perspective.
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