MotoGP: LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team Introduced (Video)

MotoGP: LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team Introduced (Video)

© 2021, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc. From a press release issued By LCR Honda IDEMITSU:

 

 

2021 LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team 

Takaaki Nakagami

Bio

Born in Chiba (Japan) on February 9, 1992, Nakagami joined the Japanese Road Race
Championship in the GP125 category in 2005 and in 2006 became the youngest ever
winner of the Japanese 125cc Championship. The same year he also joined the MotoGP
Academy which gave him the chance to compete overseas for the first time in the CEV
(Spanish) 125GP series. In 2007 he decided to focus on the CEV 125GP championship
(under the Academy banner) and had the chance to compete as a wildcard in 125cc
World Championship at the final round in Valencia.

He impressed enough to secure a full-time ride in the 125cc World Championship in
2008, joining the Italian I.C. Team riding an Aprilia and he continued in the Championship
in 2009 with Ongetta I.S.P.A. Aprilia. Despite having offers to remain in the 125cc
championship in 2010, Nakagami decided to return to Japan and re-join the Harc-Pro
team (with Honda) for 2 years winning the Japanese Moto2™ title in 2011 was drafted in
by the Italtrans Team at the Japan GP as a substitute rider.

The team offered him a fulltime seat for 2012, and in 2013 just missed out on a maiden
race victory on numerous occasions – not least when he scored four consecutive second
place finishes in the middle of the season. He switched to Idemitsu Honda Team Asia in
2014, but he had to wait until the following year to return to the podium with third in
Misano. He remained with the team in 2016 and took his first win in Assen at the Dutch
GP, and by the end of 2017 had garnered eight podiums and two poles.

For 2018 Nakagami graduated to the premier class to ride with LCR Honda IDEMITSU
and was the best qualifying rookie with several appearances in Q2. Nakagami got his
best result at the last round in Valencia crossing the line in 6th position (Best
Independent Rider of the Spanish round) and was impressive in winter testing.

He stayed with LCR Honda IDEMITSU in 2019 alongside his team-mate Cal Crutchlow,
noticing the best finish of 5th in the Italian GP (Best Independent Rider of the round in
Mugello). Unfortunately, his season saw an early end as he had to take a difficult
decision to undergo shoulder surgery right after his home GP in Motegi, just to be sure
he is fully fit for the upcoming 2020 season.

Nakagami showed great consistency in 2020 and made important progress. He achieved
his first ever pole position in MotoGP at Aragon and he finished the Championship, 10th
overall. In 2021, his fifth year in MotoGP, Taka will be riding a full factory spec bike,
alongside new teammate Alex Marquez.

 

Rider ID

Date of Birth: 09/02/1992

Place of Birth: Chiba – Japan

Height: 175cm

Weight: 68kg

Instagram: @takanakagami

 

Bike

Bike: Honda RC213V

Engine: 1000cc V4, liquid cooled, pneumatic valves, 4-valve DOHC

Power: Over 260hp

Gearbox: 6-speed seamless transmission

Suspension: Öhlins

Chassis: Aluminium twin-tube

Brakes: Brembo

Fuel allowance: 22 litres

Software: Magneti Marelli

Tyres: Michelin, 17” front and rear

Dry weight: 157kg

 

Technical Crew

Giacomo Guidotti Chief Engineer

Alessandro Damia Engine Mapping

Eric Perez Salva Data Recording

Federico Vicino Mechanic

Filippo Brunetti Mechanic

Marc Canellas Mechanic

Willibrord Kleine Tire Responsible

Enrique Pintor Rider’s associate

 

LCR Team History

The LCR Team (Lucio Cecchinello Racing) was born in 1996 when Lucio decided to
establish his own Team following the footsteps of other racing champions who successfully
done the same thing. Simply starting with two mechanics and one van, over the years the
LCR Team continued to grow turning into a complex and highly organized structure. After
nine years in 125cc class, five years in 250cc class LCR is actually competing in the
MotoGP class (since 2006) with two riders and more than 50 highly qualified collaborators
and also in MotoE category with two riders.

The LCR Team lined up with the most talented riders of the international field such as
Nobby Ueda, Alex De Angelis, Mattia Pasini, Randy De Puniet, Roberto Locatelli, Carlos
Checa, Casey Stoner, Stefan Bradl, Jack Miller, Cal Crutchlow and many others with more
than 600 races held in the four different categories.

85 podiums, 24 victories, 2 “Rookie of the Year”, 1 Runner-Up Award and the Best
Independent Team Rider awards are the maximum expression of the daily work conducted
by Lucio and the Team members during 25 years of racing competitions.

 

Lucio Cecchinello

Bio

Team Manager and former Top 125cc rider Lucio Cecchinello, is one of the true
personalities of the Grand Prix paddock as he began racing in the 80s and his passion for
this sport is the same as it was on day one.

At the age of 7, Lucio dissembled his dad’s old motorcycle engine and that was his first
step into his future “racing life”.

He initially worked as a mechanic for teams in national and international racing field and in
1989 he began racing in the Italian Sports Production Championship before moving into
the European Championship in ’91 and, two years later, progressing to Grand Prix.
The year 1996 was the first turning point: Lucio organized his own small team for the World

Championship in the 125 class, obtaining several important results in the top ten. It was
the same in 1997 and in 1998, after 4 Grands Prix, Lucio obtained his first VICTORY in the
World Championship. He remained with Honda until 2000 earning further important results
in the smaller class and in 2001 the Team left the Japanese Constructor to Aprilia
Manufacturer. Lucio finished the championship in 4th place repeating the same result in
2002. In 2003, his last season as a professional racer, Lucio finally crossed the finishing
line in 1st place at the Italian GP in Mugello putting a lasting mark on his career (with a
total of 19 podiums, 7 victories and 4 pole positions).

Today he is a well-known and highly valued Team Manager of the LCR Honda Team
competing in the premier class as well as a 16-year member of the IRTA Committee
(Teams internal paddock commission involved in the improvement and development of the
MotoGP Championship).

Since 2019 Cecchinello doubled his commitment as a Team Manager, managing also the
LCR E-Team (MotoE™ World Cup).

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