The 2020 MotoGP grid is largely made up, so much so that the signing of Tito Rabat for two more years within the Avintia team was considered the epilogue of a discreet transfer market. Error ! Two handlebars have not yet been officially confirmed: that of Jack Miller's Ducati Pramac and that of Nakagami's Honda LCR. If the first is calm about the sequence of events, for the other it is a little more tense...
Let's move on to the case of the Australian who affirms, before finding his Ducati in Brno, that the handshake is not far away to prolong the adventure. However, the question of financing two GP20 type Ducatis is still unresolved... The case Nakagami is different. And it is the Japanese who explains the situation: “ we still don't agree with Honda » revealed the Japanese. “ They proposed conditions that I cannot accept, I am pushing to have a 2020 motorcycle ».
He specifies : " HRC and I are trying to find the best balance. But at the moment, I do not agree with what has been proposed. They say no to giving me a 2020 machine, but I tell them no too, it's complicated. Of course, I will fight until the last moment. Most MotoGP riders have factory bikes ».
Nakagami therefore wants to have the toy to evolve in the big leagues. He wants the same Honda as his teammate Cal Crutchlow : " I'm not saying last season's bike is bad, but most machines are improving a lot. Now you can see that in one second we find 15 or 16 riders, so one or two tenths can be worth five or six places. I understand HRC's position, but I am expressing my opinion. We will see ».
The 27-year-old begins the second half of this season ranked twelfth in the world championship, despite being eliminated by Valentino Rossi at Assen, then racing injured at the Sachsenring. “ The last two races at Assen and Sachsenring were unlucky. I couldn't get good points. But some races were good, maybe other races could be improved a little. So my feeling about the season so far is 50-50. I'm happy, but on the other hand maybe we can improve ».
Now healed from his Assen wounds, Nakagami « is really looking forward to the second half of the season and these next two races will be very important for the future… ».
