Honda test rider Nakagami surprises at Mugello: faster than Bulega

The MotoGP World Championship gets back on track at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, marking the start of the second half of the season. Ahead of this, several manufacturers carried out a private test session with their test teams on the 850cc bikes at the Mugello circuit. In the sweltering heat, Honda’s test crew in particular stood out.

HRC test rider Takaaki Nakagami set the fastest time on the Honda, sporting the typical carbon-fibre test livery, in the sweltering heat. The 34-year-old Japanese rider clocked a personal best just under the 1:48 mark. Nicolo Bulega was out on track for Ducati Corse – the Superbike World Championship dominator’s personal best on the 850cc Desmo was just above Nakagami’s.

By way of comparison: during private test sessions in May, Bulega had already clocked a best time of 1:47.2, albeit in much more bearable temperatures at the time. Only Yamaha was absent from Mugello – test rider Augusto Fernandez is competing in this weekend’s Grand Prix at Silverstone on a wildcard for the Japanese manufacturer. At Aprilia, test rider Lorenzo Savadori was once again clocking up the kilometres on the new 2027 RS-GP.

For KTM, veterans Pol Espargaro and Dani Pedrosa were out on the track in Tuscany. Time was tight for Espargaro, as he headed straight on to Silverstone on Wednesday evening, where the Catalan will be replacing his compatriot Maverick Viñales – who is unable to race – with the struggling Tech3 team this weekend.

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07.08.2026 - 10:55