LCR Honda has ended months of speculation about who will join Alex Rins in its second seat for the 2023 MotoGP championship by confirming that current rider Taka Nakagami will be retained.
The news comes as something of a surprise given the Japanese racer’s mediocre results in 2022 and the fact that a likely replacement in the form of Moto2 title contender and Honda rider Ai Ogura is seemingly waiting in the wings – but with a wholesale change coming in Honda’s MotoGP rider line-up, it may be that the desire for some constancy has helped Nakagami stay with the team.
“We are very pleased with this announcement,” said team boss Lucio Cecchinello in a statement. “since 2020 Taka has proved to be a very fast rider able to fight for podium positions and this year he has consistently fought to finish as the top Honda rider.
“I trust in his potential and thanks to his six years of experience riding the Honda RCV213 motorbike, he will definitely help the LCR Honda Idemitsu Team and HRC to improve our bike package and to close the gap with our competitors.”
It’s no secret that Honda is somewhat lost when it comes to bike development this season, with the 2022 RC213V scoring only one podium in the hands of Pol Espargaro at the opening round and with Marc Marquez still its highest rider in the championship standings despite having missed eight of the 14 rounds to date thanks to injury.
And that’s where Nakagami’s experience might well have worked in his favour, as the team undergoes not just a revolution in its machinery but also a wholesale change in its rider lineup.
Fresh from his latest major surgery, six-time champion Marquez finally looks able to return for a full season in 2023, his first since 2019 as he battles against his right arm injury and subsequent complications. He will be joined by 2020 world champion Joan Mir, making the move from Suzuki to Repsol Honda to replace Pol Espargaro, while his current team-mate Rins will replace Alex Marquez alongside Nakagami.
It was originally believed that Honda, who control the second seat at LCR despite it running under Cecchinello’s name, would look to promote Moto2 front runner Ogura into the place.
A graduate of the Honda and Idemitsu backed Asia Talent Cup program and only four points off the leat of the Moto2 title race for Honda Team Asia, he seemed to be the sensibel candidate after Nakagami’s somewhat disappointing six seasons in the premier class without a podium.
However, Ogura has also been reticent lately about making a move up when asked by the media, insisting that he believes that he needed to spend at least another year in the middleweight class before graduating.
