Takaaki Nakagami has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the Argentina MotoGP round at Termas de Rio Hondo this weekend.
Takaaki Nakagami will miss this weekend’s Argentinean Grand Prix, after testing positive for Covid-19 on Monday, leaving Alex Marquez as LCR’s sole rider on the grid.
Despite having no symptoms, the LCR Honda rider reported a positive test before going to Argentina, but then conducted two additional tests to make sure.
All of the tests came back positive, so the Japanese must now hope he can test negative in time to travel to the COTA round in Austin, Texas, next weekend.
On Thursday afternoon, the LCR Honda team confirmed that Nakagami would miss the season’s third round at Termas de Rio Hondo, opting to stay at home and recover in time for the Americas GP next weekend.
“Unfortunately, I will not race this weekend in Argentina,” said Nakagami.
“I got a positive PCR test just before flying to Termas, I am really sorry for my team, sponsors and fans.”
“I don’t have any symptoms and I am feeling good, I am just very sad and disappointed.”
“I am hoping to be back on track in Austin for the Americas GP, fingers crossed.”
Due to the fact that Honda test rider Stefan Bradl has already been called up to replace the injured Marc Marquez in the factory Honda squad, LCR has been unable to find a substitute for Nakagami on such short notice and will instead enter a single RC213-V bike for Alex.
Nakagami is presently 14th in the MotoGP riders standings after two races of the 2022 season, with the two-time Moto2 race winner’s best result of tenth in the season’s first round in Qatar.
He failed to score in the first Indonesian Grand Prix in 25 years two weeks ago, fighting for speed in the mixed-conditions sprint and finishing 19th on his Honda.
Now Nakagami joins fellow Honda rider Marc Marquez in missing the first visit to Termas de Rio Hondo since early 2019.
Marquez will be replaced by test rider Stefan Bradl, after suffering from a new bout of double vision following his massive Mandalika accident.
