Paddock Press: Endo on Nakano´s 2008 season

Wednesday, 17 December 2008

Japanese journalist reflects on Nakano´s final year in MotoGP.

Shinya Nakano on track

The sole Japanese representative on the 2008 MotoGP grid, Shinya Nakano had another testing season during his stay with San Carlo Honda Gresini. After a difficult start, better results came for the veteran after receiving a factory-spec RC212V, although it was a case of `too little, too late´ as Nakano´s services were deemed to be surplus to requirements by team manager Fausto Gresini.

A champion of Nakano throughout his time in the World Championship, Tochu newspaper´s Satoshi Endo believes that his fellow Japanese suffered most of all from a lack of feel with qualifying tyres in 2008.

`Shinya was unable to get the best out of his qualifying rubber, but after he got the new bike in Brno he was able to show his capabilities,´ says Endo in today´s Paddock Press. `This was especially true in Malaysia, Australia and Valencia.´

TAGS