Takaaki Nakagami hopes to know his MotoGP future earlier than the beginning of the flyaway rounds.
An LCR Honda rider since becoming a member of the premier class in 2018, Nakagami’s race seat is underneath risk from Moto2 star Somkiat Chantra.
Some rumours recommend a take care of the Thai rider is already carried out, though HRC crew supervisor Alberto Puig insisted in Austria on Sunday that “nothing is determined but.”
Nakagami is assumed to have obtained some type of provide from Honda, and has lengthy been touted as a possible MotoGP take a look at rider – though HRC has already signed Aleix Espargaro to hitch Stefan Bradl in its European take a look at crew.
Whereas unwilling to disclose the character of the HRC provide, Nakagami did give a timeline for a choice:
“Aragon or Misano, I hope,” Nakagami mentioned. “After this GP we’ve a one week off as a result of the Repsol guys go to the Misano take a look at, however our LCR crew we have no checks. So it seems like I’ve time to consider it.”
The Aragon spherical takes place subsequent weekend adopted instantly by the primary Misano occasion.
A second Misano spherical, rather than Kazakhstan, will takes place on September 20-22 earlier than the run of 5 flyaway rounds begins, in Indonesia.
Takaaki Nakagami, 2024 Austrian MotoGP
Alberto Puig: “Honda should assume what would be the future”
Nakagami completed as the highest Honda rider with 14th place in Sunday’s Austrian MotoGP, placing him only one level behind team-mate and high Honda rider Johann Zarco on this planet championship standings (18th).
Repsol Honda’s Joan Mir is tied with Nakagami on 13 factors, with Luca Marini scoring only one level thus far this yr.
“My plan A is to stick with the identical crew and to proceed as a result of truthfully talking it’s not honest to determine my potential this season as a result of all 4 riders are struggling, not solely me,” Nakagami mentioned at Silverstone earlier this month.
Chatting with Simon Crafar on the Purple Bull Ring, Puig mentioned of the final remaining 2025 Honda race seat: “Nothing is determined but. However Taka is a rider that has numerous expertise with our bike. And likewise, he is very quick.
“It’s true that he has not been so fortunate up to now years, he had some accidents. However all the time to have a Japanese rider with a excessive degree is superb for the manufacturing facility, as a result of the communication in Japanese is as an example extra comprehensible for them.
“And I believe Taka has a transparent understanding of the bike and through all these years he helped loads for the event of the bike.
“However however it is true that the Asia Expertise Cup produces numerous riders and, for instance, Ogura signed for MotoGP with Aprilia and Chantra sooner or later possibly may be a part of MotoGP.
“So it is a compromise and Honda should assume what would be the future of those folks. However to have skilled riders beside younger riders is all the time optimistic. And this is kind of within the state of affairs the place we are actually with the Asian riders.”
Somkiat Chantra
“Chantra might be cool, however Nakagami has the expertise”
Nakagami’s present LCR Honda team-mate Johann Zarco, within the first yr of a two-year contract, mentioned:
“I don’t know [who it will be]. I heard about Chantra. Which might be type of cool, for Thailand to have a rider. He has numerous vitality, he assaults loads. However clearly he would not have the expertise that Nakagami has.”
Trying on the RC213V mission as a complete, the Frenchman added that Chantra’s lack of MotoGP expertise won’t be a nasty factor.
“I believe having a rookie, studying new issues, we are able to… possibly perceive some robust or some weak factors of the bike. As a result of a rookie would not have any references.
“Generally having like a ‘[blank] paper’ might be type of attention-grabbing and good.”
