For the weekend of May 9-11, the Honda HRC team will repeat this feat by fielding a rider under the Wild Card umbrella. At Jerez, local Aleix Espargaró rode for the Japanese team, but he now serves as a development rider for the factory bike. Ultimately penalized for low tire pressure, the Spaniard will give up his place at Le Mans.
To replace him, Takaaki Nakagami, 33, is preparing to return to the track after leaving it at the end of the 2024 season. Until then a rider for the LCR Honda team between 2018 and 2024, the Japanese has moved to the factory side, as a reserve rider, just like Aleix Espargaró this year. 19th in the standings MotoGP In 2024, the driver wearing the number 30 had completed a total of 62 laps at the start of the week, following the Jerez Grand Prix.
Seventh in the 2021 French Grand Prix, Takaaki Nakagami will certainly hope to capitalize on this opportunity, although the Honda factory team currently sits ninth in the standings after five rounds.
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