Takaaki Nakagami Shares Emotional Message After Final MotoGP Home Race at Motegi

Saajan Jogia | Oct 7, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Takaaki Nakagami (30) of Japan and LCR Honda Idemitsu before the MotoGP Grand Prix of The Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Takaaki Nakagami crossed the finish line at his home race at Motegi during last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix for the final time as a full-time MotoGP rider. The Honda rider delivered an impressive 13th-place finish despite starting the race in the 21st position.

Nakagami is preparing to hand over his LCR Honda seat to rookie Somkiat Chantra next season as he transitions into a test rider role for Honda Racing Corporation. Currently 18th in the MotoGP World Championship standings, Nakagami remains just 8 points behind Johann Zarco and holds a narrow lead over Repsol Honda riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini, demonstrating his perseverance in what has been a challenging season.

Nakagami confessed that racing at Motegi was an emotional experience, fully embracing the moment knowing it would be his last home race. The Japanese rider also revealed his bold but risky decision to use a soft rear tire, but his determination to push beyond the limits allowed him to finish within the points. Talking about his final Japanese Grand Prix, he told the media:

“It was a very emotional race.

“I’ve enjoyed it a lot, and I wanted to give my best to my fans.

“I knew I had nothing to lose starting from the back of the grid and scoring points is always nice.

“I gave my best until the end. If I had 2 laps extra, maybe I can catch that group. But I really enjoyed the end of the race. I'm really proud of myself.

“The soft rear was risky, but I was managing very well.

“It was a good decision. I was able to be consistent and in the very end of the race, I was even recovering a couple of tenths, and that's why I was able to catch the group in front.”

Nakagami reflected on the cooldown lap as a memorable moment, with fans applauding in recognition of his contributions to the sport. The 32-year-old rider realized then that it would be his final cooldown lap in MotoGP, making the Motegi race day a "very special Sunday" for him. He added:

“I will never forget today.

“That cooldown lap was a very nice feeling. I want to thank everybody for supporting me.

“Each corner I saw all the fans and I felt, ‘OK, maybe this is going to be the last one, the last cooldown’.

“Again, I'm proud of myself, I gave my best, so this is a very special Sunday for me.

“When I came back to the pit, I saw all my crew, all the staff, and I was nearly crying.”