Japanese GP – Factory Honda and operation confirmed for Nakagami: what consequences for Zarco? – Used HONDA

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Factory Honda and operation confirmed for Nakagami: what consequences for Zarco ?

Japanese GP - Factory Honda and operation confirmed for Nakagami: what consequences for Zarco? - Used HONDA

Takaaki Nakagami is unsurprisingly returning to Honda-LCR for the 2020 season, but on a factory RC213V like his teammate Cal Crutchlow. The 27-year-old Japanese rider will also have surgery on his left shoulder after the Japanese GP, leaving his MotoGP for three races… to Johann Zarco ?! Explanations.

It was the penultimate piece to be placed on the MotoGP chessboard: the signing of Takaaki Nakagami for a third season with Honda-LCR tends to close the 2020 transfer window, and above all puts an end to the rumors suggesting that Johann Zarco could take his place in the Italian team next year.

  • MNC of October 11, 2019 : Zarco on Nakagami’s Honda-LCR for the last three Grands Prix ?
  • MNC Premium : 
  • MNC of September 7, 2019 : 

Seeing the Cannes pilot on the Japanese’s RC213V is not entirely to be ruled out, but only on an ad hoc basis: Nakagami is indeed planning to end his 2019 season prematurely in order to undergo an operation on his left shoulder, injured during her fall at the Dutch GP.

"After my fall in Assen, I suffered from pain and lacked strength in the shoulder", describes the n ° 30 who is in 12th place in the provisional between Pol Espargaro and Joan Mir. "Even though I was able to drive with this injury, it was not ideal and so we made the difficult decision, with Honda and the LCR team, to carry out this operation now".

Takaaki Nakgami, 27, will undergo surgery in the wake of his national race this weekend then will follow a long recovery until the first tests of the 2020 season, scheduled in Malaysia in early February. Which means his 2018 RCV will be available for the last three races of the current championship: Australia, Malaysia and Valencia !

Zarco "will he get" the Honda ?

And it is the name of Johann Zarco who returns to the top of the list of drivers likely to act as interim for these three races: the former KTM driver, now on foot, has also confirmed having indeed received a replacement proposal from LCR !

Japanese GP - Factory Honda and operation confirmed for Nakagami: what consequences for Zarco? - Used HONDA

Problem: if Johann accepts this tempting offer from Honda-LCR, the great rival Yamaha could be offended and put an end to his plan to recruit No.5 as a test driver in 2020 … Johann Zarco would then risk have to put aside his ambitions to use his position in Yamaha development to bounce back as a holder on an M1 in 2021…

  • MNC of September 27, 2019 : 

Unless the brand of Iwata let Johann achieve this "freelance" on a Honda without holding it against him, perhaps even out of curiosity: Yamaha could thus gauge its level and its motivation after its failure at KTM, and why not collect some information about the world champion motorcycle !

  • MNC of September 5, 2019 : 
  • MNC of September 22, 2019 : 

Honda could for its part calibrate Zarco’s performance on a RCV described as difficult, but for what purpose? According to our information, Jorge Lorenzo will indeed continue his career at HRC next year. Nakagami has just been extended, so no spot will be available for Johann until 2021, at best. Risky bet for French…

A Factory motorcycle for Nakagami

Takaaki Nakagami will also be driving a factory-backed RC213V next year, and not a previous vintage like this year. This technical aspect explains precisely the length of the negotiations with his employer: the HRC was reluctant to grant him a semi-official motorcycle like his teammate Cal Crutchlow..

Japanese GP - Factory Honda and operation confirmed for Nakagami: what consequences for Zarco? - Used HONDA

The progression curve of n ° 30 finally convinced Honda to accede to his request: the discreet pilot from Chiba (Japan) already has nine Top 10 and a fifth place in the Italian GP, ​​results which allow him to have more than doubled its points balance compared to last year (74 pts against 33).

Nakagami on his "old" RCV has also finished five races in front of his box neighbor, yet at the controls of the latest generation Honda. The two teammates, cold since an overtaking deemed aggressive by Crutchlow at the Barcelona GP, are to date separated by 32 points and three places in the championship (the English is 9th, the Japanese 12th).

"Taka has demonstrated his ability to fight in the top ten of the MotoGP World Championship," said team manager Lucio Cecchinello. "Every weekend, with the HRC, we will set ourselves the goal of taking another step forward: in 2020, Taka will be competing with the Factory motorcycle which has just won the 2019 world title with Marc Marquez".

The person concerned is naturally "delighted to be staying with Honda and the LCR team" and considers having "been able to progress a lot" thanks to the "great support" and the "very solid package" provided by Honda. "Together, we can continue this way in 2020", ambitions Nakagami, who has two white results this season against four for Crutchlow..

Last MotoGP to be awarded for 2020: Johann Zarco’s factory KTM RC16, for the moment replaced by test rider Mika Kallio.

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