Nakagami to Return as Wildcard Rider at Japanese Grand Prix

Taakaki Nakagami set for fourth MotoGP appearance of 2025 season as wildcard entry in front of home fans.

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Takaaki Nakagami will make his comeback to MotoGP action as a wildcard entry for Honda at the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix, marking his first race appearance since suffering a serious injury earlier this season.

The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider last competed as a replacement at the Czech Republic Grand Prix, where he sustained a cruciate ligament tear in his right knee following a heavy crash during the Sprint Race at Automotodrom Brno. Nakagami went down on the second lap in an incident involving Augusto Fernandez and subsequently returned to Japan to undergo recovery.

Since July, the 33-year-old has not appeared in any wildcards for HRC, with Aleix Espargaro instead taking on development duties for the Japanese manufacturer in Europe.

Now, Honda has officially confirmed his return: “To give the home fans an extra reason to cheer, Takaaki Nakagami will return as a wildcard rider on the Honda RC213V at the Japanese GP,” HRC announced via Instagram.

Nakagami has already participated in a private test at Motegi in recent days to reacquaint himself with the RC213V before his official return to competition. The Japanese Grand Prix will therefore not only mark his comeback to a race weekend but also give local fans the chance to see him back in action on home soil.

This appearance will be Nakagami’s fourth of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, following earlier outings at the French, Italian, and Czech Grands Prix.