It’s a special weekend coming up for Takaaki Nakagami at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. Less than two weeks after the announcement of Nakagami's new contract, the LCR Honda Idemitsu rider is racing on home soil, on the Mobility Resort Motegi circuit which Honda owns. So, why not take a moment to learn a bit more about him?
1. Born in Chiba, a town 40 km southeast of Tokyo, Takaaki Nakagami decided to settle in Catalunya in 2018.
2. This Japanese rider has an eight-year-old French bulldog, which his family keeps for the rest of the year. As a result, when he organises video calls with his parents, he regularly asks to see her and the she goes completely crazy every time.
3. His sister Momo often accompanied him to the races before the pandemic.
4. In his international debut in 2008, Takaaki Nakagami rode with #73. It was on his return in 2012, after a brief stint in his country of origin, that he adopted the #30. It was actually Alberto Puig who assigned him this number during his time in the MotoGP™ Academy. The ex-pilot would become an important character during his career.
5. Unsurprisingly, his favourite circuit is Motegi, but he admits that he would like to see Suzuka back on the calendar.
6. In terms of hobbies, he enjoys cycling, snowboarding and tennis, a discipline he also particularly enjoys watching on TV.
7. Takaaki Nakagami likes to cook, and he may live in Spain now, he remains attached to Japanese gastronomy and especially to sushi. According to him, he could not live without his rice cooker, which he makes sure to bring home.
8. He admits to being a bit superstitious. Proof of this is that he always puts on his boot and his right glove first, in addition to getting on his motorcycle on this side.
9. He notably grew up with posters of Mick Doohan and Dajiro Kato hanging on his bedroom wall. His compatriot was a great reference in his eyes, even if his idol is none other than Valentino Rossi.
10. La Casa de Papel is his favourite TV series and in terms of actors, he says he is a fan of Leonardo Di Caprio and especially Will Smith, whom he would dream of inviting to a Grand Prix.