Taka Nakagami Wins the “Oscar” for Bad Luck: He Ended Up in the Hospital—Goodbye to His Home Grand Prix

Taka Nakagami’s home weekend was effectively over before it even began. The Japanese rider, competing as a wild card with the Honda test team, was the victim of a violent highside in the opening moments of FP1, which took place on a track made treacherous by light rain.

Nakagami immediately reported severe pain in his left shoulder and was taken to the medical center for evaluation. Tests revealed a fracture of his left collarbone, forcing him to withdraw from the Grand Prix. For the Japanese rider, therefore, the weekend ended after just a handful of turns.

The unique layout of the Motegi circuit significantly altered the dynamics on the track, so much so that the standings at the end of Friday’s sessions featured several surprises. The fastest lap was set by Alex Marquez on the Gresini Racing Ducati, who finished ahead of Pedro Acosta on a KTM and Marc Marquez on the factory Ducati.

It was a disappointing Friday, however, for Pecco Bagnaia, who faced a difficult day that left him outside the top ten. The three-time world champion will therefore have to face Q1 on Saturday to try to advance to the decisive qualifying session—a particularly disappointing outcome considering that last year at Motegi he dominated, winning both the Sprint and the Grand Prix.

The Japanese Grand Prix also saw the return to the grid of Maverick Viñales, who, after a two-month hiatus due to shoulder surgery, received the green light to return to racing with the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team. The Spaniard, who had been absent from racing since the German Grand Prix in July, admitted that he is not yet 100 percent physically fit; it is therefore no surprise that he finished last, more than two seconds behind Alex Marquez, at the conclusion of Friday’s practice sessions.