Takaaki Nakagami's final MotoGP wildcard has ended after less than five minutes on track. The Honda development rider was declared unfit at Motegi on Friday after fracturing his left collarbone in a highside during FP1.
Nakagami was back on a MotoGP Honda for his home grand prix, one year on from Marc Marquez's title triumph at the same circuit, and with one-off entries set to be banned from the class from 2027 the weekend was widely billed as the last wildcard of his career. It came to a halt at Turn 11 after only four minutes of running. FP1 had opened with rain in the air and a damp track; Nakagami was one of the riders who ventured out early, lost control off-throttle on his out-lap and high-sided. The right-hander under the oval bridge had already caught out Marco Bezzecchi, who narrowly avoided a fall in the same spot moments earlier.
Nakagami was left in visible discomfort in the gravel trap and was taken to the medical centre, where he was diagnosed with a fractured left collarbone. HRC confirmed he will take no further part in the weekend, leaving Honda down to its usual four riders at Motegi.
