[MotoGP] Honda Announces Takaaki Nakagami's Wildcard Entry for the Japanese Grand Prix! Returning to his home country as an HRC Development Rider

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) has announced that its development rider, Takaaki Nakagami, will participate as a wildcard in the 16th round of MotoGP, the Japanese Grand Prix, to be held at Mobility Resort Motegi on October 4, 2026. Nakagami, who competed full-time until 2024, will challenge his home Grand Prix to verify the results of development in actual competition.

Takaaki Nakagami Tackles Machine Development in Competition

Born in Chiba Prefecture, Nakagami boasts a career of winning all races in the All Japan Road Race Championship GP125 class at the age of 14. He then moved up to the Road Racing World Championship, achieving two victories in the Moto2 class. In 2018, he was promoted to the premier MotoGP class.

He continued to compete full-time in the premier class for seven seasons, from 2018 to 2024. From 2025, he took on the role of HRC development rider, supporting the development of MotoGP machines from the front lines. This wildcard entry marks his first competitive opportunity in his home Grand Prix since transitioning to a development rider.

"Work That Contributes to HRC's Competitiveness"

Upon confirming his participation in the Japanese Grand Prix, Nakagami spoke of his sense of mission as a development rider and his passion for racing in his home country.

"I am delighted to be able to participate in the Japanese Grand Prix as a wildcard. I am currently working on machine development as an HRC development rider, and this will be a valuable opportunity to confirm what I have accumulated in testing in actual competition," he said, pointing out the importance of the link between testing and competition.

Furthermore, Nakagami commented, "Although it is a special stage as my home round, I want to collect good data throughout the weekend and do work that contributes to HRC's further improvement in competitiveness," demonstrating his determination to fulfill his role as a development rider.

At Motegi, a circuit he is familiar with from his days as a regular rider, it will be an unmissable race for Japanese fans to see what kind of performance Nakagami will deliver and what feedback he will bring to Honda's machine development.

HRC Development Rider Takaaki Nakagami