Takaaki Nakagami’s Honda woes: “Four chassis, four strategies, couldn’t share ideas”

Takaaki Nakagami has shed light on the extent of Honda’s issues, claiming that each rider had a different strategy last season.
Takaaki Nakagami , MotoGP Race, German MotoGP, 18 June
Takaaki Nakagami , MotoGP Race, German MotoGP, 18 June

The Japanese manufacturer failed to score a point in Germany last year - the first time in 40 years they had done so in MotoGP - yet their issues have only worsened in 2023.

Nakagam🎶i was the only rider left standing at Assen - with Marc Marquez, Joan Mir and Alex Rins absent through injury.

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Na🧸kagami revealed that 2022 ended amid total confusion, telling : “The four riders had different chassis and followed different development💮 strategies. 

“Each crew chief applied different ideas. 

“We couldn't copy anything, we couldn't exchange data, we couldn't even share our ideas because all four had their ꧒own.”

Pol Espargaro was Marquez’s Repsol H🗹onda teammate last season, whileꦡ Alex Marquez and Nakagami were LCR Honda riders.

N♒akagami insists that the manufacturer’s problems stretch back to a year ago.

“We started to suffer on some weekends, although not in every race,” he said. As a rider, I beliꦆeve that the situation did not just ar🔥ise in 2023, but is something that has dragged on since 2022.

“The 2021 bike was quite good. It was really competitive in some races. Th𝓀e 2022 bike was then a c🎶omplete change of concept.”

Takaaki Nakagami, Catalunya MotoGP, 4 June
Takaaki Nakagami, Catalunya MotoGP, 4 June

Nakagami 🦩explains the differences: “The feeling. I got into MotoGP in 20𒐪18 and every year they changed the bike and brought a new bike. 

“The general concept has always r🍌emained the same, only the character of the engine has changed: the engine had more torque, different power delivery... The chassis and the feel of t๊he front and rear wheels, on the other hand, remained the same.

“The 2022 b🐎ike was then very differ💫ent on all levels. The chassis, the geometry, the feel of the front... 

“The bike has ⛦lost the Honda DNA, so I had to change my r🍌iding style, which I had learned four years earlier.

“Iও remember being very surprised. I first teste🌜d it in Jerez at the winter test after the last GP of the 2021 season. 

“After just the firsꦚt lap I thought to myself: ‘Oh, that's a completely different bike.’

“The biggest problem was that we didn't have all the experience that 𝕴we had accumulated over the years.”

Honda’s problems now mean they are battling to keep t꧙heir star rider Marquez, while even newer recruits from Suzukꦰi - Mir and Rins - are being linked with exits.

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