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Taka Nakagami is preparing for his last races as a full-time rider before moving on to a different role. In fact, it is today's announcement that he is the new tester in Japan for HRC, opening a new chapter in his career. Taka will make way for Somkiat Chantra, who will be defending the colors of LCR Idemitsu in 2025, but remains de facto in the Honda family, as he has always done throughout his now long career.
"I expect several new things, " Nakagami explained, "I will have to do a lot of testing between Japan and Europe, I will also do a couple of races as a wild card. For sure it will be a very big change for HRC. I knew I could not continue where I was, but at the same time I got this offer from Honda, I thought little about it and immediately accepted. My main goal will be to help HRC develop the bike faster in Japan, because they explained to me well what is happening now there."
Do you regret not being a full-time rider anymore?
"Actually this role is something where I can help a lot, especially because I will talk directly with certain engineers so the whole process will be faster. This is something very exciting for me for this new chapter in my career. I feel really happy and I am also happy for Chantra, for this chance he will have. I will also try to help him in the beginning, because I know it will not be easy. I have never ridden the current Triumph-powered Moto2s, but I certainly know that these are two different worlds. I hope I can use my experience to help him."
Will you be a kind of bridge between Europe and Japan?
"Yes, and at the moment it is precisely this bridge that is missing. I give a practical example: we are now in Europe and we have no information about what they are trying in Japan, and I know they are working a lot, they are doing a lot of testing. But we don't have any information about that. Nobody here in the paddock knows what they are testing and I think in this aspect I can help a lot to make a connection, even with the European test team. For now I don't know the schedule exactly yet, but I know it will be challenging."
Did you ever think about leaving Honda in order to continue racing?
"Hardly, I have spent my whole career with HRC. I think it was in the past the best bike in the world, while now it is not. Maybe we can get it back to the front, I know it won't happen soon and it won't be easy, but we will try. A lot of things are changing in Japan."
Could you identify the moment when Honda started to lose ground?
"Honda started to lose pace in 2022, because they completely changed the concept of the bike. I got on the bike and immediately thought that it was no longer a Honda. They had worked on finding grip at the rear, whereas before one of the best things about the bike was stability under braking. After this change in philosophy we lost balance, we didn't find a good balance in the bike. Then also came the aerodynamics that were so complex, and in my opinion we lost our way. At least in 2022 we were fast in qualifying when we put on the new tire, but still we have lacked consistency since then."
You will also work with Aleix Espargarò, will you have very different roles?
"I don't know yet what kind of collaboration I will have with Aleix Espargarò. I will ask for details during this weekend, also because I still don't know exactly when I will start my new job. But it looks like I will not have a real winter break, I will have to test in Japan as early as the end of the year. It will be in Valencia, but I don't know yet if I will have a bike. In any case I will be there to help Chantra on his first day."
At least you will be back living in Japan, are you happy about that?
"Yes, I missed living in Japan. This life as a rider takes you travelling so much, living so much of your time at the airport. So I often thought I had enough. But I also think that when I travel less later, I will miss this lifestyle. Maybe I'll come often to watch races in Europe as well, because I think it makes sense for me to listen to the official riders' comments and then figure out how to work in testing. I will live in Japan, but I think I will still spend a lot of time in Europe."
