On the occasion of the Japanese Grand Prix, we offer you a short portrait of the six riders who will represent their country this weekend in the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 World Championships in order to get to know them better.
MOTOGP
Born February 9, 1992 in Chiba, Takaaki Nakagami
(n°30) arrived in the 125cc World Championship during the last race of the 2007 season, in Valencia, as a wild card. He then officially joined the Championship the following season and drove in 2008 and 2009. Despite a clear progression and two fifth places at Le Mans and Silverstone which allowed him to have a contract offer for 2010, he decided to return to race in the Japanese championships. He returned to the World Cup in 2012, this time in Moto2 and had a promising season with several placements in the top 10. He really revealed himself in 2013 where he reached his first podium in the first race, in Qatar. He would subsequently have four consecutive podiums at Indianapolis, Brno, Silverstone and Misano.
He fell into line more in 2014 and 2015, and we had to wait until 2016 to see him win his very first victory at Assen. Thanks to his two great seasons in 2016 and 2017 where he totaled two victories and six other podiums, he arrives in MotoGP this year within the LCR Honda team. He is currently third in the rookie rankings, behind Franco Morbideli and Hafizh Syahrin, and
just announced the extension of his contract for 2019.
MOTO2
Tetsuta nagashima (No. 45) was born on July 2, 1992 in Kanagawa. He made his debut in the Moto2 World Cup, replacing the injured Mike Di Meglio, during the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix. He won a contract the following year, but fractured the tibia-fibula of his right leg during free practice at Silverstone. and is forced to miss this Grand Prix as well as those of Misano, Aragon, Motegi, Phillip Island and Sepang. His first year as a rookie ended difficultly and he found himself without a ride for two years. He made two wild cards in Aragon and Japan in 2016 and managed to score two points. He returned in 2017 and could finally have a full first season. He finished in 26th place with 14 points. This year, he is riding with the IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia and currently occupies 19th place in the Championship. He has just achieved his best result in Thailand where he finished in eighth position and announced his signing with the SAG Racing Team for 2019.
MOTO3
Tatsuki suzuki (No. 24) was born on September 24, 1997 in Chiba. After participating in the CEV in 2014, he arrived in the Moto3 World Championship in 2015 within the French CIP team. With a tenth place as his best result, he progressed little by little before arriving in Paolo Simoncelli's SIC58 Squadra Corse team in 2017. Taking his wing, he came to live in Riccione, Italy, and his results began to improve. 'improve. He regularly enters the top 10 and his best result to date is a sixth position which he achieved at Jerez and Aragon this year, as well as two front rows at Mugello and Barcelona which put him in fifteenth place in the Championship. Suzuki is gaining momentum and will continue with the same team next year.
Born April 7, 2000 in Fukuoka, Kaito Toba (n°27) won the Asia Talent Cup in 2014 before taking part in the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2015 and 2016. He only arrived in the Moto3 World Championship last year, with the Honda team Team Asia in which he still plays. He created a surprise by finishing tenth in his second race in Argentina, in 2017. Even if he only entered the points once again last year, he demonstrated his potential as a rookie. . This year he continues to improve and has entered the top 10 three times, his best result being a sixth place in Barcelona. He is currently twentieth in the Championship and will continue next year with the same team.
Ayumu Sasaki (No. 71) was born on October 4, 2000 in Kanagawa. Winner of the Asia Talent Cup in 2015 and the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2016, he made his World Moto3 debut during the Malaysian Grand Prix of the same year to replace the injured Enea Bastianini in the Gresini Racing team. He arrived for his first full season in 2017 with the SIC Racing Team and impressed in his first race, finishing eleventh. He managed to enter the points eight times and achieve a seventh place as his best result. He thus had a very good first season for a rookie. This year he stayed on the same team and continues to progress. He also won the first row of his career at Mugello and currently occupies twenty-first place in the Championship. He will continue with his team next year.
Born August 20, 2000 in Fukuoka,
Kazuki Masaki (n°22) is one of the rookies of this Moto3 season. 2017 winner of the Rookies Cup, he made a wild card at Valencia, during the last race of last season, and created a surprise by grabbing tenth place.
Arriving this year as part of the RBA BOE Skull Rider team, he scored points in the first race in Qatar, finishing thirteenth. His season has since been more discreet but he has often stood out during trials. He also won the first row of his career in qualifying at the Thai Grand Prix by qualifying in third place. Currently 29th in the Championship, he is learning the category step by step and has not yet made an announcement for 2019.
