Takaaki Nakagami, the Honda development rider, suffered a fractured collarbone during Friday’s opening practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, ruling him out for the rest of the weekend.
While attempting a reconnaissance lap of Motegi’s newly resurfaced track, Nakagami went high‑side at Turn 11, hard‑landing on the left side and rolling into a gravel trap before the oval bridge.
He managed to stand up as marshals approached, but the rider was already clutching his upper left arm, visibly in pain.
Afterward, he was escorted to the medical centre for assessment, where the diagnosis confirmed a broken collarbone and declared him unfit to continue.
Nakagami, 34, had been spearheading Honda’s 850cc development programme and was set to race his home track as a wildcard in what the team anticipated would be his last such appearance.
He also remains the sole MotoGP grid rider to have tested a grand‑prix motorcycle on Motegi’s new layout; his exit marks a considerable setback for the manufacturer.
The session finished with reigning world champion Marc Marquez topping the four‑five‑minute practice, followed by Aprilia’s Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, while Johann Zarco delivered Honda’s best finish in fifth place.
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