[MotoGP] TakaakiNakagami to participate in the Japan GP as a wildcard. Will this be the final race for the 1000cc machines?

Honda Racing (HRC) has announced that development rider TakaakiNakagami will participate as a wildcard in the MotoGP Japan Grand Prix, which will be held at Mobility Resort Motegi from October 2 to 4, 2026. With the regulation changes starting next season, this will be the final Japan GP contested with the current 1000cc machines. It may also be the final competitive race for Nakagami himself, and he aims to show the culmination of his career in front of his Japanese fans.

TakaakiNakagami to participate in the final Japan GP for current 1000cc machines

The "2026 FIM MotoGP World Championship Series Round 16 MOTUL Japan Grand Prix" will be held at Mobility Resort Motegi from October 2 to 4, 2026. It has been decided that TakaakiNakagami, who serves as a development rider for Honda Racing (HRC), will participate in this event as a wildcard. Nakagami, who became an HRC development rider in 2025 and has been supporting the development of MotoGP machines, will once again challenge himself in a real race in front of Japanese fans.

Starting next season, MotoGP regulations will change, and the engine displacement is scheduled to become 850cc. Therefore, this event will be the final Japan GP contested with the current 1000cc machines. Additionally, according to Nakagami, wildcard entries are expected to be eliminated from next season, so this could potentially be the final competitive race for Nakagami himself. Although his current focus is on development testing for the 850cc machine, he showed a stance of focusing entirely on the race for this Japan GP.

Leading up to the event, Nakagami has been actively participating in PR activities for the Japan GP. In July 2026, TakaakiNakagami rode the RC213V-S alongside the LRT to promote new access methods, contributing to activities that build excitement for the event. As a new access route to the Japan GP, the "Mobility Resort Motegi x LRT Smart Access" has been established, allowing fans to attend by train using shuttle buses from Haga Town.

Furthermore, a "16-23 ZERO Yen Pass" has been prepared for those aged 16 to 23. This is a 3-day pass that allows free race viewing and access to attractions, available through advance application. Also, a pre-event will be held at Bellesalle Akihabara on September 30, where many MotoGP riders such as FrancescoBagnaia and FabioQuartararo are scheduled to participate.

Pride as a development rider and thoughts on the final race

Nakagami says that his origin lies in watching MotoGP at Mobility Resort Motegi as a child, which led him to aspire to become a GP rider. Afterward, he won the title in the All Japan Road Race Championship and stepped up to the World Championship. Although he returned to Japan once, he fought his way back to the world stage on his own merits and began full-time participation in the premier MotoGP class in 2018. He fought at the forefront until 2024, giving many thrills to Japanese fans.

Since 2025, he has been contributing to the evolution of the machine as an HRC development rider, utilizing his own experience. Nakagami explains, "I told the racing department to use my experience, and we discuss things until the rider's sensations match the data." He says he finds it rewarding to create an ideal machine that is easy to handle and ride while maximizing the power of the Honda engine.

Regarding this wildcard participation, Nakagami stated, "Since the regulations will change from next season and wildcard entries will be gone, it is highly likely that this will be my final participation under current circumstances." Although switching back to the current machine, which has different displacement and tires, is a difficult challenge, he expressed his enthusiasm, saying he wants to cherish the chance to ride in front of his Japanese fans.

Finally, addressing the fans, Nakagami called out, "This is the final race where the current 1000cc MotoGP machines will run in Japan, and it may also be my own final competitive race, so I hope you will come to watch it in person." The culmination of the riding career of TakaakiNakagami, who has been fighting on the MotoGP stage for many years, will be showcased on the Motegi course.

Mobility Resort Motegi: https://www.mr-motegi.jp/motogp/access/