Nakagami’s mistake puts him in the spotlight

On every grid there is always a driver who is pointed out by all his rivals for his excessive aggressiveness and when even the usually heavier ones point to the theory, it is the wrong is the main character. Years ago it was Johann Zarco the monopoly of all criticism and many Safety Commissions where he was left alone or more with something defended by Marc Márquez. Now it’s Taka Nakagami the one who picked up the baton for maintaining the same pattern. He pushed himself hard or exceeded revs at the start of races, even when he was coming back, that he faced at the end of the straight as if it was the last lap and became a danger to the public for himself and for iba. because it happened on Sunday at the start of Montmeló’s career that could have ended in tragedy for him. He spent 24 hours under hospital observation and apparently had no serious injuries, but at Monday’s test, important for Honda, he was absent.

Nakagami, 30 years old and the only Japanese rider on the star grid, has been in MotoGP since 2018 and his position at Idemitsu LCR Honda is under huge pressure due to rumors that next year he could be replaced by Ai Ogura or Somkiat Chantra, two. riders in the Japanese Moto2 structure. That “multi-year” contract he signed in his last renewal could take him in the direction of finishing as a tester, now he has more speed than German Stefan Bradl covering the loss. by Marc Márquez.

He started at 12 and ended up going wild behind the men in the 1st row, when he reached the braking point of the 1st he was so far behind that he blocked the wheel and lost the bike. He fell to the ground and violently hit the head wheel behind Bagnaia, who did not survive the fall, as he put himself in serious danger saving his helmet. His Honda then threw Alex Rins who broke his left wrist in the violent fall. A week ago at Mugello he also threw it, not at the start but in a tough tackle with which he interacted. He earned “he’s the sluttiest driver on the grid” from the angry Rins who re-raised the subject with Catalonia’s Safety Commission to seek the quorum of his teammates.

At the press conference, Fabio Quartararo was asked and re -asked about the incident on turn 1. “I don’t think it was a race incident. You can’t attack so much and it can’t be that Pecco, who started second, and Nakagami, who he started from far behind the grid, he would get there to hold the wheel behind Pecco’s head. I can’t explain. all have to be …, how to say it, aware that we are here and “We have a 160 kilo motorcycle and if we do something right we can get in trouble, we can commit suicide. Those are the most dangerous places for us in the beginning, when everyone is recomposing and after the first lap there is less risk” , ratified by the champion.

And he also had words against Race Direction: “For me, decisions have to be made faster, before more things happen and that’s something that happened in Portimao, raining. Don’t wait to see if the rain stops or not. No, No , it starts to rain and we go with the slicks.This is an example, but generally when something happens they make a decision and I believe prevention is always better.Prevention is better than cure , “he says.

Even Zarco is no longer defending him

Johann Zarco, who in another untimely braking at the Red Bull Ring in 2020 almost organized a tragedy by colliding with Franco Morbidelli and their bikes shot and went through the heads of Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi who preceded them, was also troubled by Nakagami’s action which he saw perfectly.

“Rins had a really good start and I thought outside he was going to the corner. Then I saw Nakagami coming very strong and I thought he was going away. But I saw that he was holding Pecco’s bike with his bike. Head and everything collided.We discussed it with the Safety Commission and with Mugello.Rins asked us about the incident that happened to Nakagami.He wanted our opinion on what happened.We all agreed that Taka did not make a mistake there and that deserved a penalty. But we all agree that Taka is sometimes too aggressive in overtaking, only with what he did today he was lost all the credibility that we had given him in the Safety Commission.I don’t know what will happen, but Taka has made him a big mistake now. He’s completely past the braking point, if they don’t do anything for the next races, it could be even worse for him. “