Nakagami: "Most difficult moment for Marc and for us"

After getting a first-hand view of Marc Marquez’s scary morning highside at the German MotoGP, Takaaki Nakagami’s top priority was simply to bring his Honda to the chequered flag.

Peter McLaren

21 Jun 2023

Takaaki Nakagami, MotoGP, German MotoGP, 17 June

Marquez broke a finger in his fifth fall of the Sachsenring round and subsequently withdrew from the race, thus joining Repsol team-mate Joan Mir and LCR’s Alex Rins in being absent from the grand prix race.

Nakagami, who had hurt his hand in a fast accident in Friday practice (below), has struggled with a lack of rear grip throughout the season and admitted he was scared of suffering the same fate as Marquez - being launched over the handlebars.

“I was behind [Marquez in warm-up]. He was not overriding, he didn't miss the apex. Looks like, just he lost the rear somehow. He made a big, big, massive highside,” Nakagami said.

“When I saw this, honestly I was scared myself, because I'm on the same bike, and a couple of times I had the same feeling. Fortunately I had no highside, but a couple of times it was really close, that feeling.”

Nakagami spent most of the race ahead of only GASGAS stand-in Jonas Folger, before passing Raul Fernandez and a fading Aleix Espargaro for 14th in the final laps.

“We are quite far from where we want to be, and the gap is massive,” Nakagami admitted. “But I couldn't ride better.

“The problem is that, I was slow, but the feeling was, the limit is there. I felt like the front was always closing, and then the rear is really unstable, the bike is always moving, shaking, and it's really difficult to keep pushing.”

“Not only Turn 7 where [Marquez] crashed. From Turn 5, 6, 7, 8, also Turn 11 too. Most of the corners were really tricky,” the Japanese said.

“As soon as, even the entry, the rear somehow - this bike package doesn't generate the grip, so it's easy to entry and highside, but as soon as you touch the throttle, anyway no grip. So the bike is always spinning.

“I don't know if it's mechanical grip or even electronics, it's a little bit difficult to manage. Because somehow we need to keep pushing, but like this, especially Marc had a big highside. It's the most difficult moment for him and for us.

“I needed to do a little bit of a step back if I wanted to see the chequered flag. And this is the most important thing for myself and also for Honda, because if I crash and I get an injury, there's no one on the grid for Honda!

“So at least I got to give some data to them to help for development.

“They understood where is the problem, where they need to improve, but we don't have time unfortunately for Assen. But for the future, especially after the summer break, we believe they will bring something to help.”

The most recent significant technical move by Honda has been the introduction of a Kalex-built frame. Nakagami got his first taste of the chassis at Sachsenring, but wet weather in practice meant he went back to the more familiar standard version for the races.

“From Saturday we just used my standard chassis. So not many laps with the Kalex chassis. But our plan is for Assen, we will try again back to back,” he said.

“But [on Saturday] I spoke to [Marc] in physio, and even though a different chassis, it's the same feeling. He doesn’t have confidence, no rear grip and the front closing, so I don't know. Even now there's no confidence, Kalex chassis doesn't help. But we will try to compare again in Assen.”

With his three colleagues injured, Nakagami found lining up on the grid as the only Honda a ‘lonely’ experience.

“Of course I felt a lonely feeling, because in the race Marc was not here. Yes, it was really tough. And a sad feeling, because no one is expecting such a difficult moment for HRC.

“So just I can wish Marc a speedy recovery, also my team-mate [Alex Rins] and Joan Mir too. And let's see if Assen if Marc is able to ride the bike, or Joan too. We need to keep helping to develop the bike.”

Marquez has confirmed he will be back on his Honda at Assen this weekend, but Mir and Rins remain sidelined.

Rins, who broke his leg at Mugello, is the leading Honda rider in the world championship, in 13th place and with 34 of his 47 points from shock 2-1 finishes at COTA.

Nakagami is 17th (26 points), Marc Marquez 19th (15 points) and Mir 24th (5 points).