Honda denies production racer earmarked for Nakagami

Honda has denied one of its new RC213V production MotoGP racers due out in 2013 is destined for emerging Japanese Moto2 talent Takaaki Nakagami.

HRC is keen to see a promising young Japanese rider in MotoGP and it was rumoured at the Catalunya round that the IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia will sign 21-year-old Nakagami to ride a production RC213V, which will be sold for around £800,000 to non-factory teams.

The team, run by former Repsol Honda rider and HRC stalwart Tadayuki Okada, was created in 2013 specifically to unearth and develop young talent from the Asian region.
It currently runs Yuki Takahashi in the Moto2 category but HRC boss Livio Suppo denied Nakagami, who was third in the Qatar race in April, would be riding a production RC213V next season.

Suppo told MCN:  “At the moment it is not sure. There is a close connection between Honda and Tady obviously but at the moment there is no plan. Nakagami is interesting for the project of having a young Japanese rider and having a team that grows up young talent in that part of the world but Moto2 could be a good platform. Nakagami is doing a good job but maybe he needs more time to grow.”