For the year 2021, Takaaki Nakagami’s Honda LCR has a little gold on its fairing, the color of the champions. The Japanese rider hopes it’s a good omen as he aims high in his first year in MotoGP with a factory bike. Last season he showed that he has the speed to stay with the best, but he never managed to get a good result in the race.
“I couldn’t control myself mentally, I was a bit out of control. I’ve worked on that over the winter, even if training is one thing and racing is another, “he admitted.
Are you mainly referring to the Aragon GP, where you started from pole position?
“I was too excited and couldn’t handle the pressure. I knew I could fight for victory, but after 20 seconds I was in the gravel. It was an important experience because I didn’t make a lot of mistakes last season, but I made them all at important moments. I didn’t turn to psychologists or mental trainers, but rather worked on myself. This year I can no longer afford to make mistakes “.
Will a factory bike help you?
“For the last three years I’ve always had the bike from the year before, sometimes it was positive and others less. It was often difficult to show my full potential with an engine with less power and top speed. In MotoGP, you only have to lose a tenth of a second on the straight to make things difficult. I also hope I can help with development. There are a few areas where the Honda can improve. “
Everyone says it’s a bike that needs an aggressive riding style, right?
“They say that only Marquez can make the most of it, but not all drivers have his style. I realized last year that sometimes you have to be aggressive, but sometimes you have to be more flexible, like in the last race. Let’s say you need to find a hybrid between the two styles (laughs). “
Where can you still improve?
“When it comes to changing direction, I’m not the best, and you can tell from the data. During the tests in Qatar I will try to improve the bike, but also myself. “
Bradl tested in Jerez for a long time. Did you have the chance to speak to him?
“No, and not for the HRC engineers either, I’ll do it before the tests. Saw some photos and it looks like Stefan tried a lot of new things including the frame and swingarm. I’m not worried about the new bike, I’m sure it will be better than the one I used last year, the 2019 bike. I will be very busy at Losail, there will be important tests as I couldn’t go to Sepang and I look forward to trying out the new bike. Apart from Marc, I’m the most experienced rider on a Honda, but I think Pol Espargarò will adapt quickly. “
You introduced the LCR team in Cervera. Did you have the opportunity to meet Marc?
“No, I just spoke to Alex, but I didn’t ask about his brother. I know a lot of people do it every day and I didn’t want to be another. I saw the photos he posted on social media. He’s not in perfect shape yet, but he’s improving. “
What do you expect from this championship?
“I hope to be more consistent to fight for the podium and the title. It won’t be easy because there are so many riders and so many competitive bikes. I won last year thanks to a great consistency, but at the moment it’s hard to say who is stronger. “