Moto2 race winner Tetsuta Nagashima has been supporting HRC as a test rider in Japan for over a year and provides insight into what his programme is like
Since 2021, Tetsuta Nagashima has been working for Honda as a test rider, helping HRC with development in Japan, while Stefan Bradl mainly does the testing in Europe. Nagashima is helping Honda with both the MotoGP project and preparations for the endurance race at Suzuka.
“One week I test the MotoGP bike, then the next week I test the bike for the 8 hours, then MotoGP again and so on. Sometimes I get confused because everything is so different. But it’s a great experience for me,” the Japanese rider reports.
This year Nagashima led the Honda factory team to victory in Suzuka. Also on the team were compatriot Takumi Takahashi and WSBK rider Iker Lecuona. “With the 8-hour race project, I can be really fast. But I am also fast with the MotoGP bike, but I still have some small problems,” said Nagashima.
What is the Japanese rider struggling with on the Grand Prix bike? “The grip level is so high in MotoGP. I still have to adjust to that. You can’t just ride and be fast. You need certain skills for the MotoGP bike. I still need to gain more experience, but step by step it is getting better,” he explains.
Since his retirement from the Moto2 World Championship in the 2020 season, Nagashima has only been able to race irregularly. He will not be competing in the Japanese Championship. “No, I’m only racing in the 8 Hours. I would like to race more, but I have no opportunities,” he regrets.
“I can only compete as a substitute driver or with a wildcard. Last year I raced as a substitute for Italtrans. Let’s see what the future holds. I hope to be able to race more,” Nagashima notes.
And on which tracks will the tests take place? “For the eight hours, we will race in Suzuka. With the MotoGP bike, I race more at Motegi. Sometimes we go to other tracks, like Misano in the summer. If Honda specifies that I ride somewhere, then I do it,” said the HRC test rider.
Nagashima completed his first MotoGP race at the Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi, but did not finish. In Thailand, Nagashima took over the LCR Honda from compatriot Takaaki Nakagami and finished 22nd.