“It all depends on Marc’s indications”: Takaaki Nakagami says Marc Marquez’s opinions weigh the most in Honda
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For LCR Honda Idemitsu driver Takaaki Nakagami, Marc Marquez is a living legend whom he gets the honour to share a team with. Marc is a Repsol Honda rider, and his teammates are Pol Espargaro, S. Bradl, Marc’s own brother Alex Marquez, and Nakagami. And amongst all these riders, Marquez’s opinions weigh the most when it comes to team decisions, according to Takaaki Nakagami.
Spanish rider Marc Marquez is a 6-time World Champion in the MotoGP Championship and he has also got two 125cc World Championships to his name. With such a vast experience, Marquez is often considered as one of the best racers in the history of MotoGP, and is put in the same league as MotoGP legends like Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi.
Marc Marquez jumped onboard the Honda team in 2012 with a two-year contract to replace Casey Stoner, after he had won the Moto2 World Championship. He is still a part of the Honda team, and enjoys full autonomy when it comes to making decisions about the cars.
“He knows Honda very well”: Nakagami talks about Marc Marquez’s importance for making their team decisions
Marquez had been absent from the racing scene in the better part of the last two years due to his many injuries. But still, he has had a big part in the making of the Honda motorbikes. He only returned to racing with a comeback in Austin during the new MotoGP 2022 season, and has already achieved a favourable position in the World Championship standings.
While Marquez has not been able to gain a podium place in this season yet, he recently got a P4 finish at Jerez, after a fantastic battle and an even more amazing save that Marquez said was possible only because of his fans’ support.
Talking about team dynamics, Takaki Nakagami gave an insight into the decision-making process at Honda. The 30-year-old rider said Marquez’s opinions are followed religiously when it comes to developing the cars.
He also commented, “Marc Marquez is one of the best riders on the grid. He knows Honda very well. His feedback as an official rider are very important, also for us. Because this year’s bike is based on a completely new concept, we all have yet to understand it.”
Nakagami went on to say, “It all depends on Marc’s indications. If he says no to something, then that means no for all riders. If someone says yes, but Marc says no, then it still means a no.”
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Riddhi Mondal
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