Honda’s driver line-up is currently like a hospital. Alex Rins will be out for a while after breaking his tibia and fibula, Joan Mir will miss a third straight Grand Prix at the weekend and Marc Marquez’s health is also a concern. At the World Championship race at the Sachsenring on Sunday, LCR driver Takaaki Nakagami was the only Honda driver.
For Marc Marquez, the race weekend in Germany came to an early end after his fifth crash. The Spaniard broke his thumb during the warm-up take-off on Sunday morning.
Brand colleague Takaaki Nakagami drove directly behind the Honda with starting number 93 and spoke after the race about the tricky scene in the fast downhill left-hand corner.
“It was a really tough weekend. After the warm-up, I was the only remaining Honda driver,” said Nakagami. “I was driving behind Marc and I saw this horrible accident. He wasn’t going over the limit. He didn’t miss the apex of the corner either. Everything was looking good, but then for some reason the rear end slid off.”
Critical driving behavior robs drivers of their self-confidence
“He had a massive highside. When I saw that, I was really scared because I ride the same bike,” admits Nakagami, who had a few moments of shock at the Sachsenring race weekend. “I had a similar feeling a few times. Luckily I didn’t have a highside, but a few times it felt like I was about to,” says the Japanese.
The handling of the Honda RC213V is currently extremely critical. When it comes to speed, Honda is miles away from Ducati. Yamaha is also following. But compared to the Yamaha M1, the Honda RC213V is currently unpredictable. The result is falls in a hopeless position.
“It’s the most difficult at a race distance. On a fast lap, you can close your eyes and get a lap together,” explains Nakagami. “But that’s not possible with a full race distance, because you first have to get to the finish line. If you go over the limit, you end up in the gravel.”
Does the Honda RC213V have a fundamental problem?
“We couldn’t find any solutions this weekend and we were far behind. The gap was huge,” reports Nakagami. “I just couldn’t ride any better because I had the feeling that I was already at the limit. The front wheel kept wanting to collapse. In addition, the rear was very unsteady. The bike wobbled and shook.”
“It’s difficult to push then. I had to take a step back to at least see the checkered flag,” Nakagami explains the disappointing result. After 30 laps of racing, Nakagami was more than 25 seconds down and was classified P14.
“Our bike doesn’t generate a lot of grip and it’s easy to highside on corner entry. When you step on the gas, you don’t have much grip. The rear wheel on our bike spins all the time. I don’t know, but the mechanical grip and the electronics are tough control,” Nakagami describes the problems.
At least Nakagami was able to provide some information to the HRC engineers. “That’s important for me and Honda, because if I hurt myself, then we have no one left in the field. At least I was able to collect data so that they can advance development,” said the Japanese. “It’s the most difficult moment for Marc, but also for us.”
MotoGP is coming to Assen next weekend. In the Honda camp, expectations are very low. “For Assen we don’t have time to improve anything. But we think they will bring something after the summer break that will help us. The weekend here and the race was very hard and difficult,” Nakagami regretted.
What’s next for Takaaki Nakagami?
It is currently unclear how Honda will continue in 2024. Marc Marquez is on contract but rumors about the Spaniard’s future have been wild in the MotoGP paddock. Is Marquez buying his way out of the HRC contract? What’s next for Joan Mir and Alex Rins?
Honda’s appeal has waned dramatically in the past few years. While a place in the Repsol Honda team has been a MotoGP rider’s absolute dream for years, a contract with the Honda works team seems to be more of a deterrent at the moment.
Takaaki Nakagami does not yet know if he will continue for LCR-Honda in 2024. “There was a small meeting this weekend. There is another meeting in Assen and then I can announce something new. I don’t know if it’s good news or bad news (laughs; ed.)”, notes he.
“I’m trying to concentrate on my work. Of course it’s a difficult moment,” said the 31-year-old Japanese. “We can’t expect better results and we have to try to stay on the bike and finish the races.”