MotoGP Honda: for Cecchinello, the objectives were achieved by Nakagami in 2019

Right now, when you're a Honda rider, it's best to avoid missteps. With the case of Lorenzo whose fate, whatever the official press releases say, is indeed in suspense, the ideal is to have signed his contract for the future and remain above the fray. A successful operation by Takaaaki Nakagami who secured his future before leaving to have shoulder surgery as soon as his Japanese Grand Prix was over. For him, the return to business will take place next February for the Sepang tests. And his local boss Cecchinello assures him: he had already achieved his set objectives this season.    

To Takaaki Nakagami, the 2019 MotoGP season ended earlier than expected due to early shoulder surgery. Because the LCR Honda rider had been battling pain since his collision with Valentino Rossi at Assen, he made the decision after his home Grand Prix in Japan to treat the problem in order to be operational early enough for the off-season.

« Doctors say he can't move his shoulder in the first month »Says Lucio Cecchinello, leader of the LCR team in which he plays Nakagami : " in the second month he can start with physiotherapy. The following month he can start normal training. Then he will find his bike again, but unfortunately he will not participate in the tests in Valencia and Jerez ". Both tests will take place in November, too early to Nakagami.

« We have no other choice, because the priority is to put it in the best possible shape for next year », explains the director of the LCR team, emphasizing: “ it is obviously not an advantage to fail tests we are in a very competitive environment where the wheel is constantly turning. “Especially right now…” Fortunately, we have a lot of experience with the bike, because Taka will in principle ride the 2019 bike with which Marc Márquez won the championship. The winning bike will be passed on to Taka. » Winning, however, only for one man at Honda…

But what about this campaign? Nakagami Did it disappoint or satisfy? “ Before the start of the season, we had several goals,” reveals Lucio. “We wanted to finish as many races as possible in the top 10. Additionally, we decided to work on some of our weak points, such as lean, because Taka was driving with less lean than Marc and Cal. »

He also felt that it was possible to improve the start of the race. But he is satisfied with the progress made: “ I would say we have achieved all three of these goals: in 16 races, Taka has been in the top ten on nine occasions, his lean angle now more closely resembles that of Marc and Cal. And he showed us a strong start to the race. »

Cecchinello finished : " I would give him an eight out of ten for his season. We sometimes missed the direct entry into Q2 and in the last races like Japan, for example, he could not get his usual performance. But that was because of his injured shoulder, and it's fixed now. » But now it remains to settle the case Lorenzo...