Shuheï Nakamoto is a character in mechanical ports. He was part of Honda's great adventure in Formula 1 and then went on to bring joy to HRC in the motorcycle Grand Prix. A position of vice-president that he held from 2009 to this year. Honda had won nothing from 2004 to 2010 and under his reign, the winged crest regained success. With in particular two particular drivers: Stoner and Marquez.
Casey Stoner et Marc Marquez have marked the contemporary history of the HRC. One only took one title in 2011, but it made people cry Nakamoto san upon his retirement. The other never stops bringing tears of joy to his eyes by collecting world crowns. Two pearls, but with different styles.
Unfortunately, we will never have the opportunity to compare them on the track. Freelancing on Honda to replace Pedrosa did not take place and the Australian is now an icon at Ducati. But Nakamoto, in an interview with SportRider, sheds light: “ first of all, they are two different personalities” begins the Japanese. “Both have something special on the track ».
« So, Casey has a very fast cornering speed while Marc is very particular on the brakes. Casey was really good in the acceleration phases. He found the perfect angle, the ideal go-around or something else... Reading the data revealed that he had all his control to obtain the perfect grip, to feel the moment when the electronics would take control of the tire when it reached its limit. His throttle control was amazing. Always perfect. Marc is the same, but he uses traction control much more ».
Based on this postulate, we could say that pure talent is on the side of the retiree. But Shuhei Nakamoto realigns the sight: “ when Marc first tested the bike in Valencia in 2012, and we only had thirty minutes of good conditions then. But when I saw its overall performance and particularly on the brakes, I was very pleasantly surprised. I was able to tell myself that my choice was the right one ».
Un Márquez which has since added to the HRC list: “ in the first part of the 2013 season he was lucky. In Austin for example, he was the only one to take the hard rear tire, which allowed him to win the race. He was almost always on the podium and was able to build up a good lead which he then managed. Normally, a driver takes a year to understand everything, but it only took him half a season. It was at Silvertsone that he told me he knew how to manage tires. But he was lucky because Lorenzo and Pedrosa who were very strong were also injured. 2014 was a different matter. He understood, gained experience on the bike and his riding style ».
