Clash of the LCR Titans: Nakagami and Zarco at Odds Over Motegi Sprint Debacle

LCR Riders Dispute Over Motegi Sprint Incident: "It Was a Major Error"

LCR teammates have differing views on who was at fault for the collision that saw Takaaki Nakagami crash out of the MotoGP sprint at Motegi.

Takaaki Nakagami has accused his LCR MotoGP colleague Johann Zarco of making a significant error, holding him responsible for their crash during the Japanese Grand Prix sprint race.

During the 12-lap sprint race at Motegi on Saturday, two Honda riders were competing fiercely, but they were positioned far from earning points when they collided on the fifth lap.

Zarco attempted to overtake his teammate by taking the inside line at Turn 2, a right-hand corner, and collided with him, causing the Japanese rider to crash and exit the sprint race.

In an unexpected turn of events, Takaaki Nakagami's race in the #TissotSprint was cut short at his home circuit due to a collision with his teammate Johann Zarco. As a result of the incident, Zarco, from France, received a Long Lap Penalty from the stewards. #JapaneseGP 🏁🇯🇵

The officials disapproved of Zarco's maneuver and penalized him with a long lap penalty, resulting in the French racer finishing 14th at the end of the race.

Nakagami, who is participating in his final Japanese Grand Prix as a full-time racer, expressed his "disappointment" with Zarco and believes that the fault lies entirely with him.

Nakagami expressed his belief that a significant error was made by him.

"It was definitely not a suitable place for overtaking. I was unhappy with how he maneuvered, and we ended up making contact."

"I was on the outside and, regrettably, I lost control of the front, ending up in the gravel."

"I’m really let down by how the sprint ended and also by my team-mate."

Zarco stated his case, arguing that Nakagami had the opportunity to prevent the collision, just as Tech3 competitor Augusto Fernandez managed to do when Zarco executed a comparable maneuver.

Zarco mentioned that he attempted to overtake on the inside since he had more speed in the corners than Taka.

"The previous lap, I was quite close to making this move. At that point, I was eager to overtake so I could catch up with the competitors ahead."

"I went ahead with the action, and he was caught off guard."

"I was able to perform the maneuver on Augusto Fernandez, allowing him to slightly raise the bike."

"I thought he might have noticed me earlier, but unfortunately, he wasn't prepared, and I feel bad that he ended up crashing."

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