Takaaki Nakagami is Honda's good fellow soldier, having alone ensured Japan's presence in MotoGP for seven seasons now, where he has never really shone. Certainly, having an RC213V doesn't help and until recently it was rumored that he had exhausted the patience of his HRC employers. But no one wants their place in Asia. Proof of this is this recent signing of Ai Ogura for an Aprilia TrackHouse. There is still Chantra as an option, but Nakagami remains the safe bet. The latter lifts the veil on its prospects…
Takaaki Nakagami has been in the LCR-Honda Idemitsu box for so long that it seems to be part of the furniture. However, this 2024 season could well be his last performance in MotoGP. Or not! In an interview with GP One, he comments: “ At the moment I can't go into details. I can simply limit myself to saying that I received an interesting proposal from HRC. I can't say what it is, but maybe I could accept it ».
He adds : " the priority for everyone at HRC as for me and for the other drivers is to improve the current situation. We cannot spend all the sessions in the lower positions of the ranking. I want to improve as a driver. I want to be able to fight with all the other drivers, while I often find myself running solo. It's about having a different perspective on a few races ».
The Japanese also specifies: “ we have a new engine for Austria and I am curious to discover its performance. Now we have 4 drivers with the same specifications and this means that we are all starting from the same footing and it will be easier to improve step by step ».
Nakagami: “ to be honest the Ai Ogura case is a difficult question »
The situation of the compatriot Ai Ogura who cut ties with Honda who had always counted on him to ensure the next generation Nakagami to this reflection: “To be honest the Ai Ogura case is a difficult one… Everyone thinks differently and has different goals. I saw the news that he will be racing for TrackHouse on an Aprilia. He decided to move forward and change his approach. I can't say much things because it was his decision ».
« In the past he had already had offers from Honda but finally he accepted an offer from another manufacturer. I would like to congratulate him, I think he deserved to be able to race on a Moto GP. This is also good news for Japan as a country as well as for himself as a pilot ". Then he concludes: “ I think he will now be more relaxed and focused on the rest of the championship in which he is fighting for the title. They're close to the top of the table, so fingers crossed they can win the title this year ».
