Takaaki Nakagami became the first Honda rider to homologate an in-season fairing update with the debut of an aggressive high downforce package at the British MotoGP.
The Japanese explained that the big change in front end downforce was so radical it will require re-balancing the entire bike. Something the mixed Silverstone weather, including an all-wet Saturday, didn’t allow time for.
But the LCR rider still persisted with the new bodywork for Sunday’s grand prix in order to ‘collect data’ for HRC.
Starting 21st, Nakagami remained towards the tail of the field, prompting him to join Fabio di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli and Iker Lecuona in gambling on a switch to a wet weather bike when rain spots fell in the closing stages.
It didn’t pay off and the Japanese crossed the line in 16th place.
“We decided to race the new aero package and it makes sense because even in difficult conditions it’s better to collect data to give HRC,” Nakagami said.
“Of course, the result and the performance is not super good. I’m disappointed. But at least I understood more about the aero package during the race.
“It was a really tough, difficult weekend, but let’s see in Austria.
“After the race we had a conversation with HRC and they said that they are thinking to prepare the two bikes with the new aero package for Austria.
“This means, we will have time to understand more and we can try many things to adapt to the new aero package.
“This weekend, unfortunately the weather was not helping and also especially this year’s new practice format doesn’t help.
“It’s really difficult to adapt in such a very short time. But this is racing, so we need to keep working on it and to understand more deeply the new aero package.
“Because definitely HRC are believing in this direction. I don’t know about the factory team, if they will homologate it or not, but we did it. So we have to keep using it.”
The obvious perk of more front downforce is a reduction in wheelies. While that’s not a particular issue at the fast and flowing Silverstone circuit, it could prove more beneficial at stop-go tracks like Austria.
But Nakagami made clear the whole set-up and balance of the bike needs to be changed to work with the new fairing and front wings.
“Definitely it’s more downforce and then a lot less wheelie, but the lap time is not coming [here] because the turning and also the bike balance is so different,” he explained.
“It affected so much, the front feeling, but then also the rear, a lot less rear grip. And it was really difficult to create the right balance. They [HRC] have ideas to generate more rear grip. So we will try in Austria.”
The new fairing, which also features a wider ground-effect style lower section first pioneered by Aprilia, might also mean a change in riding style.
“What I understood [here] is that we need to be riding more like a V [stop-go] style, also Ducati are using this kind of the style and they are working pretty well,” Nakagami said. “But also HRC had the same idea.
“As a rider we need to adapt to the new aero package, we need to understand how we can go fast. It will still take time to understand and to use such a high downforce on the front.”
But aero alone will not fix Honda’s current woes, with lead Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez only briefly featuring in Sunday’s top ten before joining team-mate Joan Mir in crashing out.
Nakagami’s temporary team-mate Lecuona crossed the line in 17th.
“At the end, it’s a balance, not only downforce. They [Honda] need to improve also electronics. Also mechanical, rear grip, still we are missing a lot,” Nakagami said.
“I felt definitely less wheelie [with the new aero]. We can go with higher [engine] torque. But just before the traction area, still we are spinning too much and the bike starts to shake. So this makes less drive. That is the area where we lose a lot.
“Now we have ten days off and for sure HRC will try to understand more deeply. And hopefully, they have some ideas for how to use such high downforce and try to make a good balance on the bike in Austria.”
Nakagami is 17th in the world championship, with absent team-mate Alex Rins still the highest Honda, in 14th, despite missing the last four rounds due to his fractured leg at Mugello.
Keyword: MotoGP Silverstone: “Honda believe in this direction”: Takaaki Nakagami to continue with high downforce aero