Honda has confirmed a wildcard entry for Takaaki Nakagami at the Japanese MotoGP round at Motegi, scheduled for October 2-4, in what could prove to be a historic appearance as one-off entries are set to be banned from the 2027 season.
Nakagami, who has been an HRC MotoGP test rider since retiring from full-time racing at the end of the 2024 season, has competed twice as a wildcard for HRC, taking a best result of sixth at the French Grand Prix last May.
He also wildcarded at Motegi last year but retired from the Sunday race. Currently, Nakagami has not raced in MotoGP in 2026, despite Johann Zarco having been injured since May; the French rider has instead been replaced by Cal Crutchlow.
"I am very pleased to have the opportunity to compete in the Grand Prix of Japan as a wildcard rider," Nakagami said. "I am currently focused on the development of Honda's MotoGP machine in my role as an HRC Development Rider, and this event provides a valuable opportunity to evaluate under race conditions the progress we have made through testing."
"Racing in front of the Japanese fans at my home Grand Prix makes this occasion even more special. Throughout the weekend, my goal will be to gather as much useful data as possible and contribute to further improving the competitiveness of Honda's MotoGP machine."
As the 1,000cc-Michelin era of MotoGP winds down, the developmental justification for wildcard entries naturally fades, making this potentially one of the last such appearances in the premier class.
The 2026 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix is the first of two back-to-back Asian races, with the Indonesian Grand Prix due to take place the following week.
Sources
- https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1101538/1/takaaki-nakagami-set-potential-era-ending-japanese-motogp-wildcard
