Friday Practice
TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI COMPLETES FRIDAY PRACTICES IN AUSTRIA
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami ended 22nd on Friday at the Red Bull Ring. The Japanese rider faced a demanding Friday on Austrian soil due to a lack of feeling on the front tyre, which prevented him from doing a better job. Despite going through a rough patch, there is room for improvement, and Takaaki and the crew are committed to adjusting some details that will hopefully help on tomorrow’s qualifying and
Sprint.
Taka Nakagami – 22nd (1’30.421)
“It’s been a tough day; we’ve struggled both in the morning and the afternoon. I couldn’t stop the bike the way I wanted. Right now, our question mark is the front tyre feeling. Today, I’ve focused my riding on not making mistakes and gathering information. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”
CONSISTENT FRIDAY FOR JOHANN ZARCO IN AUSTRIA
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 14th on Friday at the Red Bull Ring. Frenchman Zarco and the crew experienced a positive Friday on Austrian soil, as they had already improved their feeling and position on the standings from the morning session.
When it was crunch time in the afternoon, after implementing some modifications, they almost went straight to Q2, confirming a solid step forward that gives hope for the fight
for the points ahead of tomorrow’s Sprint.
Johann Zarco – 14th (1’29.606)
“I’m happy with today’s job: we’ve positively started the day and took a step forward during the afternoon session, as I’ve gotten a better feeling. I’ve done my best, pushing as if I were fighting for a win. When I can do this, it is essential as we get to analyze the performance, so I’m pleased because we’ve gathered useful data. Let’s try to do a good qualifying tomorrow and then push and fight on the Sprint!”
Sprint Race
STRONG SPRINT FOR NAKAGAMI IN AUSTRIA
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami has crossed the line 16th on Saturday’s Sprint at the Red Bull Ring. The Japanese rider and the crew experienced an interesting Sprint in Austria despite being unable to reach the points. Nakagami admitted having noticed some improvements during the race that have allowed him to feel more comfortable on the bike and helped him manage the tyre drop. After today’s Sprint, tomorrow’s primary goal will
be fighting for the points.
Taka Nakagami – 16th
“Honestly, the feeling on the bike was better than yesterday, which is important. We applied some small changes to the bike balance, and I felt more confident in the braking, which allowed us to be more consistent. For the Sprint, I managed to gain some positions after the start and kept a consistent lap time. Tomorrow’s race will be tough; we need to pay attention to the tyre drop, which will be the main gamble.”
JOHANN ZARCO COMPLETES THE SPRINT IN AUSTRIA
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco has finished 15th on Saturday’s Sprint at the Red Bull Ring. The Sprint on Austrian soil has been one of the most demanding of the season so far due to an increase in temperatures, which added some difficulties to Frenchman Zarco and the crew. Managing the situation and avoiding huge mistakes, the rider found some positives as the laps went by and felt good, especially in the last stages. He
couldn’t reduce the distance, but grabbed vital information to take a step ahead of tomorrow’s race.
Johann Zarco– 15th
“I’m a bit disappointed because we had taken a step forward and I felt better in terms of performance, but today we had to race under sweltering conditions, the worst of the weekend, and it was hard. During the Sprint, I made a mistake and lost time at the beginning. By the end of the race, I felt faster and reduced the gap, but we couldn’t do better. We’ll try to improve ahead of tomorrow’s race, as it will be long and demanding.”
Main Race
IMPORTANT POINTS FOR NAKAGAMI IN AUSTRIA
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami has crossed the line 14th at the Austrian Grand Prix race. Starting from the 22nd spot of the grid, Nakagami demonstrated his unwavering determination with a strong start and clever management of the 28-lap race in his fight for points. He engaged in a strong battle against his rivals, refusing to surrender until the very last inch of the race. His effort saw him cross the line 14th, securing
valuable points for the championship and being the first Honda bike in the classification.
“I’ve had fun on the bike. It was a tough race, but I felt good and knew I wanted to get the maximum with our package. We’ve done a good job this weekend, and I must thank the team for its commitment and effort. We’ll try again in the next race!”
DIFFICULT RACE FOR JOHANN ZARCO IN AUSTRIA
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 21st in the Sunday race at the Red Bull Ring. Since the start of the race, an issue with the engine’s power delivery has been a challenge for Johann Zarco. However, the Frenchman’s decision to stay on track, in anticipation of the forecasted rain, was a strategic move. Despite the rain not arriving, he crossed the line 21st. The team will now analyze the data to understand the issue better
and ensure improvements for the next races.
“I decided to stay on track, hoping for a wet race, but it didn’t rain, so I just took it as a session. To look at the bright side, we’ve worked well over the weekend, and I felt good on the bike in the previous practices. This is part of racing, and we’ll improve for the next races. Our team is already working to prevent such issues in the future, and we’re confident that we’ll bounce back stronger.”
