For a reason that remains to be clarified, Takaaki Nakagami shows himself in a new light since Marc Marquez is no longer there. Conqueror, playing at the forefront, he still lacks consistency and a little success to definitively assert himself as Honda's only remaining hope of not sinking permanently. During the Styrian Grand Prix, the Japanese narrowly missed pole position and the podium was possible before the red flag. Before Misano, he explains his new status, still limited to the 2019 version of the RC213V…
Takaaki Nakagami proved this weekend in Austria, during the Grand Prix of Styria, that the Japanese brand Honda can still be competitive. The LCR driver managed to fight for pole on Saturday, although he had to settle for second place. On Sunday, Takaaki was not able to end the weekend as he would have liked. He was on the podium until the red flag, and in the second race he had to settle for seventh position. “ I am very happy for a good weekend. In all conditions, I am fine. We still have a tenth or two to go. I didn't expect to fight for pole position, but our goal was the front row », Commented the pilot.
“I can’t use the official bike”
The absence of Marc Márquez, which will continue for the next few months, has changed the situation in the Honda box. Nakagami worked on the eight-time world champion's data, which gave him the opportunity to take a step forward with the 2019 machine and achieve the best results for the Japanese brand. A new position in the box which makes him feel greater pressure from his compatriots: “ After Márquez's injury in Jerez, I felt a little more pressure from HRC. Takeo and Alberto are often there and I have the impression that there is a little more pressure, but I like it because I'm more competitive ».
However, this improvement has limits… “ I can't use the official bike. This bike has a lot of potential. We have Marc's data from last year and we analyzed it. Marc pushed the bike to another levelu, he scored 400 points with it, so the potential is there. We're still trying to find out how he did it. It has special piloting. At times I can try to imitate his style and it worked very well in Jerez. It's not easy, but this is the only possibility of going quickly ».
« Every night, I check the data and the driving differences. I need less energy to drive. I'm still learning, but I've found a way to adapt to the bike. We will see the future », Finishes the LCR Honda rider.
