NAKAGAMI RULED OUT OF MOTEGI AFTER FP1 COLLARBONE FRACTURE

Takaaki Nakagami’s final Japanese Grand Prix appearance ended almost as soon as it began, after a highside in opening practice left the Honda wildcard with a fractured left collarbone.

The crash came at Turn 11, around four minutes into Friday’s FP1. Rain threatened and parts of the Motegi circuit were damp, prompting many riders to wait in the pits while others ventured out to assess the conditions. Nakagami was on track behind fellow Honda rider Luca Marini when he lost control and was thrown from his bike. He landed heavily on his left side and was visibly in pain as marshals attended to him and cleared the scene.

Honda subsequently confirmed that Nakagami had been declared unfit. He will take no further part in the weekend, leaving the manufacturer with its regular four-bike line-up. The crash also seriously compromises Honda’s development of next year’s MotoGP prototype, as Nakagami was due to take part in what was very likely his final wildcard outing. There were no rider quotes in the reports.

The injury brings a premature end to what was set to be a significant home race for the former Moto2 race winner. Nakagami’s Motegi wildcard is his last in MotoGP: one-off entries in the class are due to be banned from 2027. His crash also complicates Honda’s options for the next round in Indonesia, where Joan Mir is expected to remain sidelined by illness. Somkiat Chantra is replacing Mir in Japan, but is due to race in WorldSBK at Estoril during the Indonesian GP weekend. Nakagami had been a possible substitute for Mir in Mandalika; his collarbone fracture makes that prospect highly unlikely.