Takaaki Nakagami is currently the Honda rider, still with the team, with the most experience on the bike, but it was up to the other riders to test the latest version of the bike.
In the short time he had the chance to ride it, the sensations were positive and the Japanese rider admitted to seeing ‘some potential’.
Although he was only able to test the bike at the end, due to a crash suffered by Johann Zarco that forced a lengthy repair, Nakagami had good feedback on what the new bike could be: ‘At the very end of the test I had the chance to test the latest specification of the bike, a couple of laps, but the first impression was very good. The character of the engine and the grip around the edges has improved. I jumped into Zarco’s riding position and it’s not uncomfortable under braking, but unfortunately he crashed in turn four and then they took time to repair the bike and I didn’t get the chance to test the bike until very late, after half past four’.
Without much time with the RC213V, Nakagami confessed that he felt that something good might be coming next year, even though there were many more things to test in the next tests after the summer break:
– I didn’t want to make any mistakes but rather get a small flavour of the bike. It’s very light and the agility is much better, plus I like the performance of the engine. The impressions were good but I know that at the next test in Sepang they’ll bring in other parts and the engine. We’ll see, but in this latest specification I sense some potential.
