Mir’s replacement Taka Nakagami (Honda): “The last 1000cc test was a shock”

The news, which only came to light just before the official start of the Austrian Grand Prix, came as a surprise: Joan Mir is sitting out his beloved event in Styria – the Honda works rider will be replaced by test rider and former regular rider Taka Nakagami. The Japanese rider’s last appearance dates back to 2024. Incidentally, at that Grand Prix, Nakagami finished ahead of Joan Mir whilst riding for LCR and scored World Championship points by finishing 14th.

Further key preparations for the Japanese GP

It had, however, been clear for some time that Nakagami would be competing in his home race at Motegi on a wildcard, just as he did last year. Now the 34-year-old can get up to speed under competitive conditions – whilst also helping to ensure Honda is in top form for the prestigious event on home soil. As you may recall, in 2025 Joan Mir surged past Marco Bezzecchi to take third place on Honda’s home circuit, marking the highlight of the year for the world’s largest motorbike manufacturer.

Just how serious Honda is was also evident from Nakagami’s response when asked when he last rode the 1000cc RC213V. The loyal Honda rider said: “I actually rode the 1000cc bike back in September at Motegi during a private test. To be honest, it was quite a shock. After all, I mainly ride the 850cc Honda. What I can say is that I ride the bikes a lot overall – not to say non-stop.”

Spectacular schedule

Nakagami reported: “The day before yesterday and yesterday I was still at Mugello, along with Aleix, who can now support us again after six months – that will be a great help. Now I’m at the Austrian GP on the 1000cc, and on Monday it’s back to the 850cc test at Spielberg. Next stop is the Japanese Grand Prix on a wildcard, and straight after that we’re heading back to Sepang with the 850.

Taka Nakagami was in a chatty mood the day before the first session at the Red Bull Ring. The long-serving LCR rider shared some interesting insights about the 850cc Honda and almost got carried away. “To be honest, I’m having more fun on the 850cc. The bike is lighter – and it feels more natural. The riding is more pure; you can simply ignore the ‘Ride Height Device’. The dimensions and the compact aerodynamics also work in my favour – it’s really great fun.”

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When asked about the other differences compared to the current one-litre prototype bikes, however, Nakagami simply confirmed: “The Pirelli tyres alone make the 850 a completely different MotoGP bike.”

Back to Styria. Just over a year ago, Joan Mir impressed with a 6th-place finish, whilst Zarco and Marini finished further down the order in 12th and 13th places respectively. Nakagami could be anything but cannon fodder – yet the gruelling test schedule is likely to curb the Japanese stand-in rider’s willingness to take risks.