NAKAGAMI STEPS IN FOR MIR IN AUSTRIA AFTER MOTEGI 1000CC TEST SHOCK

Joan Mir’s absence from the Austrian Grand Prix arrived as a late surprise, with the Honda factory rider unable to take part and replaced by long-time Honda test rider Taka Nakagami. Mir’s most recent appearance at the Red Bull Ring dates back to 2024, while Nakagami’s latest Austrian outing saw him ride in LCR colors and score 14 World Championship points.

Honda’s call for Nakagami is closely linked to what has been happening on the 850cc side of its programme. Mir’s withdrawal followed his early retirement from last Sunday’s Misano race due to extreme fatigue, and further medical checks were underway. Nakagami, meanwhile, was already scheduled to be at the Red Bull Ring for Monday’s 850cc/Pirelli test, making him the logical option to step in at Spielberg.

The Japanese rider has also been heavily involved in Honda’s 850 development since Aleix Espargaro suffered serious back injuries in April. Nakagami said that at the beginning of September Honda carried out a private test at Motegi on the 1000cc, adding: “At the beginning of September we had a private test at Motegi with a 1000cc. It was a very big shock!” He explained that it had been a long time since he’d ridden the 1000cc, while his day-to-day work has been focused “mostly” on the 850 machine. Even so, he stressed that he has kept himself around the bikes constantly: “After this weekend, there is the Monday test, then the Japan GP, and the week after a Sepang test. So it's like non-stop!”

That workload helps explain why the switch to a 1000cc race weekend has been so abrupt. Nakagami acknowledged the challenge directly, describing the return as “a big shock” because of the time away from the 1000cc. He also noted that Honda’s testing rhythm is what has kept him ready, even if the specification changes are frequent.

His build-up to Austria underlined how quickly he has had to adapt. Nakagami said he was still in Mugello the day before and the day before that, riding alongside Aleix—who, he said, “will help”—after six months away. From there, he moved to the Austrian GP on the 1000cc machine, with a return to testing on the 850cc Honda on Monday in Spielberg. The plan then continues to Japan, where he will ride via wildcard, followed immediately by another 850cc test stint back in Sepang.

In Spielberg, Nakagami spoke at length about the 850cc Honda and why he feels more comfortable on it. “To be honest, I have more fun with the 850,” he said. He described the bike as lighter and said it feels more natural, adding that riding is “purer” because he can “simply” ignore the “Ride Height Device.” He also pointed to the bike’s compact aerodynamics and dimensions as factors that make it enjoyable.

When asked to compare the 850cc to the current 1000cc prototypes, Nakagami kept his answer focused on the tyres. “Just the Pirelli tires make the 850cc a completely different MotoGP bike,” he said, echoing the view that the tyre package is the biggest separator between the two eras of machines.

Nakagami also suggested that the 850cc programme is already moving in the right direction. He said Honda is “quite competitive” at the moment, while also stressing that lap times are not the only priority because the team has a “long testing list.” He added that it is useful to see how close the field is when multiple manufacturers test at the same time, noting that at recent events “it’s not only one manufacturer.”

His comments came as reports—reinforced by Pol Espargaro—pointed to the Ducati with Nicolo Bulega as the fastest 850cc package in recent private tests, with Espargaro saying Honda’s rivals are getting closer to the KTM 850 programme’s pace and that Ducati’s rider is “pretty used to ride with this kind of bike and tyres.”

For Honda, the immediate question is how much Nakagami’s familiarity with the 850cc will translate to a 1000cc race weekend. But with Espargaro now cleared to return to testing duties, Honda’s 850 workload is set to ease, and Nakagami’s role at Austria looks like a bridge between the two specifications—one he described as physically and mentally demanding, yet still driven by the momentum of continuous work: “I’m with the bikes overall a lot—so much that you could say nonstop.”