Casually, in 2021, the Japanese Nakagami will be the incumbent Honda rider in MotoGP who will have the most experience of the RC213V. This if we do not take into account Marc Marquez who unfortunately has other concerns at the moment. So much so that his return to the Repsol box is still far from being on the agenda. The one who covers him in the LCR box talks about Takaaki Nakagami who took a step forward in 2020. He still needs one more step to take before definitively asserting himself as one of the sure values at the top of the table. The Italian thus defines his margin for progress...
When Marc Marquez disappeared from the starting grid due to injury, it was thought that Crutchlow would take over at Honda in MotoGP. Unfortunately for the brand, the three-time Grand Prix winner on the RC213V had already received his leave for the end of the year, while the Englishman experienced a real black streak with an injured wrist, an operation for compartment syndrome the complicated convalescence, not to mention the few worrying crunches felt, a sign of a body asking for mercy.
With Stefan bradl thrown into the cauldron without any real preparation and a Alex Marquez simply a beginner, eyes were turned towards Nakagami with proven experience. But the velocity to be determined. A doubt that the Japanese resolved by making the settings of Marc Marquez, which led him to review his driving style. The progress has been real against the clock, but “Taka” is still missing something…
His boss in the box Lucio Cecchinello explains as follows: “ I expected improvement from him, but not that much », declares the director of the LCR team. “ he showed good potential in previous years. In 2019 he drove a 2018 model that wasn't as good as the 2019 model. We could see it in the data ».
«'Taka' has improved in several important ways »Says Cecchinello. The ex-racing driver goes into detail: “ first of all, he understood that it took a new riding technique to be fast in MotoGP. This is especially true for the Honda. In principle, you should lean the motorcycle earlier when entering the corner. This means that the driver uses a larger contact surface of the tire, which improves performance in the deceleration phase ».
« Another important step was that he flew with a more maximum lean angle. This allowed him to bring the turns closer together and save time »Reports Cecchinello who rode in the 125cc class between 3 and 1993. However, the first podium of Taka's career did not arrive.
Nakagami has Marquez's settings but not yet his mentality
Why ? Cecchinello has his idea: “ I think he needs to handle pressure better.. He already figured it out and mentioned it in a few interviews. I am convinced that he will achieve this with time and with more experience ". The same Cecchinello also attests that the 28-year-old pilot is a meticulous worker: “ he spends a lot of time in the box and he works closely with the engineers. All aspects are discussed: its position, aerodynamics, gearbox settings and many details ».
« Off the track, he spends a lot of time in the pits. I think it's very positive, because lap times are so tight these days that you can only make a difference if you work hard ».
The season of Nakagami could have been even better. When he started from pole position in Aragon 2, he immediately took the lead. But then he fell in the first round. He fell in Valencia 2 when he attacked Pol Espargaro for third place. The Japanese started from the front three times and was regularly among the top 6. Nakagami made a significant leap forward overall. In 2021, he will have Alex Marquez as a team member, the latter leaving his place at Repsol to a newcomer: Pol Espargaro.
