LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami enjoyed a productive two-day test at Jerez as he continued his learning on his new MotoGP machines.
After making the step up to the Moto2 championship, the Japanese rookie will be part of an expanded two-man LCR team in 2018, alongside Cal Crutchlow, and, given what he showed at Jerez, looks set to make print in the highest category.
Nakagami completed a total of 60 laps on Thursday and improved throughout the day, delivering his fastest effort in what was his penultimate lap. The 25-year-old was only around a second slower than the times of MotoGP veterans like Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Iannone, and admitted he was happy with the progress he made.
Taka Nakagami – 12th (1' 38.992 – 60 laps): “It was a really positive test for us, over the two days. We are improving day by day and, like in Valencia, after each ride on the bike, we improved the bike and the times, especially on the second day when we were much more consistent.
We did a lot of 39s (times in 1 minute 39 seconds), and so it's good progress for us, especially since we still understand each other, like my riding style and what we can agree on. improve as a team. But overall it was a very enjoyable test, and we are now looking forward to the first test of the new season in Malaysia. »
