Taka Nakagami surprised everyone: just as good as the Honda regulars right from the start

Even though Joan Mir had thrown in the towel before the halfway point of the Misano GP, nobody had expected the Spaniard to sit out the meeting at the Red Bull Ring a week later entirely. The same applies to HRC test rider Takaaki Nakagami, who had to step in at short notice as a replacement.

The Japanese rider had flown to Austria anyway for today’s Spielberg test, but in recent months the 34-year-old had been primarily involved in the 850cc project with Pirelli tyres. For the record: Nakagami rode his last MotoGP race on Michelin tyres at Motegi in 2025, on a wildcard entry at the time!

I wasn’t in the best physical condition.

Takaaki Nakagami

Given the circumstances, Nakagami put in a valiant performance, finishing 15th in the sprint race ahead of LCR regular Diego Moreira – and in the main race, in 13th place, he even finished ahead of factory rider Luca Marini (14th) and the Brazilian (15th)! “I did a lot of laps during the test before this race, so I wasn’t in the best physical shape. And when you have to push yourself to the limit in qualifying or the race, you really feel it,” said Nakagami. “We gained some positive insights in qualifying and the sprint. There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but we’re making progress step by step. The teamwork is getting better from session to session, and they’ve really helped me to compare myself with the other Honda riders.”

However, as none of the electronics settings were working particularly well, Nakagami took a risk for Sunday’s race. “We gained some valuable insights in the sprint and made a few changes. In particular, I wanted the traction control to intervene less. The 28 laps were really tough with the strategy we’d chosen,” explained the Japanese rider. “I had to ride with extreme precision, but I knew I could get more out of the tyres in the second half of the race. I hadn’t expected to finish ahead of the other Honda riders, so I can be satisfied.”

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