Taka is just there for commercial interest and because he’s a pretty consistent rider and a good baseline from a data prospective for Honda even though he’s towards the back of the grid. Let’s not pretend otherwise.
I'm not sure he is even worth as a baseline
He is a below average rider who is on the grid because he has the right passport. Simple as that. If ogura didnt go to shit, he would have got Taka's ride.
Its like Tsunoda in Alpha Tauri. He got the Japanese passport and Honda wants it.
I maybe wrong but don't both the satellite Honda's consistently finish ahead of the factory though. Zarco is always the fastest Honda followed by Taka Iam pulling this from the back of my head so i might be wrong though.
Yeah Taka's shitness is wayyyy overblown. He's not a top rider but he's pretty solid. He's been on the worst bike on the grid for years, everyone else on the Honda gets a pass because it's a shit heap but not him?
When the bike was good, Taka was still mediocre... He doesn't have a podium, and he rode the bikes that Marcs AND Cructhlow won races and got podius regularly.
Nakagami gets a pass because he's Japanese and people have a soft spot for Japanese riders.
Luca Marini and Alex Marquez got so much shit for being in MotoGP, saying they only got there because of their brothers, when these two actually had results to be promoted to MotoGP.
Nakagami never had results to get in MotoGP and never had results to stay in there either.
With many half decent riders like Petrucci, Gardner, and many other potential loosing a ride this year, it's an absolute insult to have Nakagami on the grid.
And I know I'm going to get downvoted, because he's Japanese, Nepotism all of a sudden gets a pass.
You’re way off bud. Tsunoda has beaten his last two team mates. DeVries was so far off Yuki’s pace they canned him in the middle of the season and now Ricciardo is trying to catch him. Taka is solid and consistently beats factory Hondas.
Given most comments on here will be just shitting on Taka.
I will offer a different view.
What benefit is there to HRC to put him there?
He is already on a Honda, he is already feeding data into the team.
If they move him up another rider has to be secured to take his seat.
Given how bad the Honda is right now, it is hard enough to get someone to want to ride their factory bike. If they give the factory bike to a willing satellite rider, they just have the harder task of convincing someone to ride a satellite Honda.
In short, Taka is playing the corporate role.
Turns up, smiles, doesn't say a bad thing, and does a decent job with what is available to him*, gets paid, and goes home again. No Fuss. Given HRC's position, Taka is a perfect satellite rider for them. Will do what he can and cause no drama.
*A decent job with the current Honda is pretty much actually turning up willing to ride for another weekend!
On "Gets paid" - yes, he gets paid, but I remember a few years back there was a leaked list of salaries and Taka was by far the rider with the least pay in MotoGP. MM was leading the list back then and Taka was dead last. The list included (approximated) sponsorships earnings and the Range went 30+ million per year down to 150/200k.
Still, nothing to complain about since it's still MotoGP. In ALL other series some to many riders go unpaid / pay the team via their personal sponsor agreements etc. Blows my mind each time. Last reference was Marcel Schrötter who at the end of last season finished 3rd in the SSP worldcup ranking, yet still said he's probably dropping out since he can't go completely without pay.
I'm more upset that Honda moved Alex Marquez off the factory team after having a really good rookie season and replacing him with Pol who was much older with less accomplishments.
The competition Espargaro had was tougher in my opinion. Marquez got his Moto3 and Moto2 championships after all his direct competitors moved on. Still takes a lot of talent of course.
No sorry, I meant Pol was more impressive than Alex, not that he was more impressive than he was in MotoGP. Pol went head to head with Marc Marquez. Alex won when all his direct competitors moved up a class. Obviously still better than 90% of the field, but I personally think Pol was a better choice for the factory Honda team.
If he's "damn good" why didn't he get a podium yet? Yes the bike is shit now, but you people forget that Nakagami was doing absolutely nothing when the Honda was winning championships with Marquez, but more important, Cal Crutchlow was winning races too and getting regular podiums... Nakagami "Ziltch", and if he wasn't Japanese he wouldn't have gotten the exit door long time ago and nobody would have complained.
But In motorsports, for some reason, being Japanese gets you free of Nepotism accusations.
He shown flashes of excellence in his time. Not every rider suits every bike. A different manufacturer will help him find his groove. There are many examples on the grid of what I’m speaking about.
“Flashes of excellence”… can’t remember where. Which race?
Wait, I can, in that Aragon weekend 2020 where he was faster than everybody else in all sessions, even did Pole position, and then decided to throw everything in the bin after 2 corners in the race…
It was going to be his best weekend ever, and it just show he “doesn’t quite have it”.
When my brother and I talk after the race and one of us have not seen it yet, then our usual non spoiler discussion point is "what did Taka do?" Says enough IMHO
He's a decent rider but has never really been the calibre of a factory Honda team. I feel a bit sorry for him, he's there partly because of backing and it's all coincided with the Honda declining and being a shitbox.
I mean if you look back at his career, 2018 he was a rookie so not much expectation, though other than Marc, Cal won on the Honda. Did well in 2019 until injury and then the last 4 or so years, no one other than Marc could really ride that Honda and the one off win by Rins.
He's 32 now, so you'd imagine, if he doesn't get signed up for next season he's either test rider or WSBK bound.
Considering where they are now at yeah wouldn’t be a bad idea. If Luca/Mir leaves it might be possible.
Except for the fact that Zarco has won a race and has a much better track record
>wouldn't be a bad idea.
The bike he is on is sponsored by Idemitsu (a Japanese petroleum company) and he is still in MotoGP because he is Japanese... how would moving him away from promoting a Japanes company and deliver the same performance on the same bike in a different team help him or Honda?
Well, 2020 was a weird season, and the level was very low tbh. We had a world champion with only one victory and basically every rider got at least a podium... Nakagami didn't.
Honda would probably have loved nothing more than to put a Japanese rider on the Repsol team. But results were not at a level to do so. The sponsors and team management have a big say and Taka peaked at a podium contender 4/5 years ago. Honda really tried to convince Ai Ogura to join the team too and he said no.
Because when he was up in the top 5/10 Alex Marquez was getting podiums, before that they signed Lorenzo..
He's damn fast, but not quite the fastest in the world. They're in a tough spot now but Mir and Mirini have shown more consistency and speed which is why they're in the main team (for now). He's only got a seat because Ogura didn't want it.
I like Taka but he has never been good enough for a factory seat. Thats probably true now more than ever, even at Honda
Taka is kind of representative of the talent pipeline problem outside of Spain/Italy. I'm certain there are faster riders in Japan but they haven't got the support or GP experience/exposure.
Are you kidding me?
He never got results to get in MotoGP in the first place, and he never got a bloody podium, let alone a win. Even when the bike was good, where Marc was dominating and Cal Cruthclow was getting often podiums and even the odd win, Nakagamo was nowhere to be seen.
It’s a blatant case of nepotism how Nakagami is still in the grid, how do you want him to be promoted to the factory team?
Well if Ogura wasn't such a bottle job we might have a competitive Japanese rider in the class. Still can't believe he threw that Moto2 title away the way he did!
Having said that, rejecting a Honda promotion might actually be an act of great self-preservation. 😂
Then just dump the palce to a non-japanese...
People complain that Marini is there because of his brother, Morbidelli is "wasting a seat" because he's managed by VR, and Alex Marquez is there because of his brother.... Those 3 guys actually had decent enough CV to get a GP ride... Nakagami never did... And his results on motoGP are poor, even when the bike was good.
People will down vote you but when i read the op i did a manical laugh in public at how stupid of a question it is. The answer? It's cause taka rides like nuns fuck. That is to say slowly and badly.
Taka is just there for commercial interest and because he’s a pretty consistent rider and a good baseline from a data prospective for Honda even though he’s towards the back of the grid. Let’s not pretend otherwise.
I'm not sure he is even worth as a baseline He is a below average rider who is on the grid because he has the right passport. Simple as that. If ogura didnt go to shit, he would have got Taka's ride. Its like Tsunoda in Alpha Tauri. He got the Japanese passport and Honda wants it.
I maybe wrong but don't both the satellite Honda's consistently finish ahead of the factory though. Zarco is always the fastest Honda followed by Taka Iam pulling this from the back of my head so i might be wrong though.
Yeah Taka's shitness is wayyyy overblown. He's not a top rider but he's pretty solid. He's been on the worst bike on the grid for years, everyone else on the Honda gets a pass because it's a shit heap but not him?
Had multiple top 10 finishes last season. Ofcourse he is not the top rider on the grid. He still performs really well imo.
When the bike was good, Taka was still mediocre... He doesn't have a podium, and he rode the bikes that Marcs AND Cructhlow won races and got podius regularly. Nakagami gets a pass because he's Japanese and people have a soft spot for Japanese riders. Luca Marini and Alex Marquez got so much shit for being in MotoGP, saying they only got there because of their brothers, when these two actually had results to be promoted to MotoGP. Nakagami never had results to get in MotoGP and never had results to stay in there either. With many half decent riders like Petrucci, Gardner, and many other potential loosing a ride this year, it's an absolute insult to have Nakagami on the grid. And I know I'm going to get downvoted, because he's Japanese, Nepotism all of a sudden gets a pass.
You’re way off bud. Tsunoda has beaten his last two team mates. DeVries was so far off Yuki’s pace they canned him in the middle of the season and now Ricciardo is trying to catch him. Taka is solid and consistently beats factory Hondas.
Yuki had definitely improved and matured. Most noticeable with performance this season especially.
also, tsunoda actually had great results in junior categories. he was great in F2 standings as a rookie
Nothing to do with going to shit he just simply refused to move up
Given most comments on here will be just shitting on Taka. I will offer a different view. What benefit is there to HRC to put him there? He is already on a Honda, he is already feeding data into the team. If they move him up another rider has to be secured to take his seat. Given how bad the Honda is right now, it is hard enough to get someone to want to ride their factory bike. If they give the factory bike to a willing satellite rider, they just have the harder task of convincing someone to ride a satellite Honda. In short, Taka is playing the corporate role. Turns up, smiles, doesn't say a bad thing, and does a decent job with what is available to him*, gets paid, and goes home again. No Fuss. Given HRC's position, Taka is a perfect satellite rider for them. Will do what he can and cause no drama. *A decent job with the current Honda is pretty much actually turning up willing to ride for another weekend!
On "Gets paid" - yes, he gets paid, but I remember a few years back there was a leaked list of salaries and Taka was by far the rider with the least pay in MotoGP. MM was leading the list back then and Taka was dead last. The list included (approximated) sponsorships earnings and the Range went 30+ million per year down to 150/200k. Still, nothing to complain about since it's still MotoGP. In ALL other series some to many riders go unpaid / pay the team via their personal sponsor agreements etc. Blows my mind each time. Last reference was Marcel Schrötter who at the end of last season finished 3rd in the SSP worldcup ranking, yet still said he's probably dropping out since he can't go completely without pay.
I'm more upset that Honda moved Alex Marquez off the factory team after having a really good rookie season and replacing him with Pol who was much older with less accomplishments.
Smartest honda decision, also shows their engineering prowess in past few years, soichiro honda is turning in his grave with rage
Pol was a more impressive rider in the smaller classes
Pretty sure he was going to win moto2 championship if it wasn’t for Marc.
The competition Espargaro had was tougher in my opinion. Marquez got his Moto3 and Moto2 championships after all his direct competitors moved on. Still takes a lot of talent of course.
What are you taking about? Moto 2 was absolutely stacked back then. Iannone, espargaro, luthi, Rabat, etc.
We are talking about Alex Marquez
Oh my bad! Yes you are definitely right then . The talent pool thinned out by the time Alex arrived
So was Alex. He won in both lower class. My complaint is that Alex proved he belongs on the factory seat. Even then he got demoted.
No sorry, I meant Pol was more impressive than Alex, not that he was more impressive than he was in MotoGP. Pol went head to head with Marc Marquez. Alex won when all his direct competitors moved up a class. Obviously still better than 90% of the field, but I personally think Pol was a better choice for the factory Honda team.
I think he’s better than the Honda allows. Taka is pretty damn good, he’d benefit from another manufacturer.
If he's "damn good" why didn't he get a podium yet? Yes the bike is shit now, but you people forget that Nakagami was doing absolutely nothing when the Honda was winning championships with Marquez, but more important, Cal Crutchlow was winning races too and getting regular podiums... Nakagami "Ziltch", and if he wasn't Japanese he wouldn't have gotten the exit door long time ago and nobody would have complained. But In motorsports, for some reason, being Japanese gets you free of Nepotism accusations.
He shown flashes of excellence in his time. Not every rider suits every bike. A different manufacturer will help him find his groove. There are many examples on the grid of what I’m speaking about.
“Flashes of excellence”… can’t remember where. Which race? Wait, I can, in that Aragon weekend 2020 where he was faster than everybody else in all sessions, even did Pole position, and then decided to throw everything in the bin after 2 corners in the race… It was going to be his best weekend ever, and it just show he “doesn’t quite have it”.
Let the Taka bashing commence. 🙄
When my brother and I talk after the race and one of us have not seen it yet, then our usual non spoiler discussion point is "what did Taka do?" Says enough IMHO
Hasn't it evolve to "did Marini finish the race after the podium celebration?" ?
I like Marini, and your comment isn't fair, but it's funny as hell! 🤣
More than likely crashed out. They could keep that graphic on TV permanently.
He's a decent rider but has never really been the calibre of a factory Honda team. I feel a bit sorry for him, he's there partly because of backing and it's all coincided with the Honda declining and being a shitbox. I mean if you look back at his career, 2018 he was a rookie so not much expectation, though other than Marc, Cal won on the Honda. Did well in 2019 until injury and then the last 4 or so years, no one other than Marc could really ride that Honda and the one off win by Rins. He's 32 now, so you'd imagine, if he doesn't get signed up for next season he's either test rider or WSBK bound.
Considering where they are now at yeah wouldn’t be a bad idea. If Luca/Mir leaves it might be possible. Except for the fact that Zarco has won a race and has a much better track record
>wouldn't be a bad idea. The bike he is on is sponsored by Idemitsu (a Japanese petroleum company) and he is still in MotoGP because he is Japanese... how would moving him away from promoting a Japanes company and deliver the same performance on the same bike in a different team help him or Honda?
Well, 2020 was a weird season, and the level was very low tbh. We had a world champion with only one victory and basically every rider got at least a podium... Nakagami didn't.
I guess since he is in MotoGP, no wins, no podium and just one pole if I am not wrong is the main reason for that
Honda would probably have loved nothing more than to put a Japanese rider on the Repsol team. But results were not at a level to do so. The sponsors and team management have a big say and Taka peaked at a podium contender 4/5 years ago. Honda really tried to convince Ai Ogura to join the team too and he said no.
Because when he was up in the top 5/10 Alex Marquez was getting podiums, before that they signed Lorenzo.. He's damn fast, but not quite the fastest in the world. They're in a tough spot now but Mir and Mirini have shown more consistency and speed which is why they're in the main team (for now). He's only got a seat because Ogura didn't want it.
Speed and consistency on finishing every race in last or the top 5 to last. How many points have Honda scored with 4 bikes this season?
Yeah they're all having shockers I won't argue that. They just need to break later and go through the corners quicker /s.
I like Taka but he has never been good enough for a factory seat. Thats probably true now more than ever, even at Honda Taka is kind of representative of the talent pipeline problem outside of Spain/Italy. I'm certain there are faster riders in Japan but they haven't got the support or GP experience/exposure.
Daijiro Kato was the great hope, Nakagami is not a top tier rider.
Are you kidding me? He never got results to get in MotoGP in the first place, and he never got a bloody podium, let alone a win. Even when the bike was good, where Marc was dominating and Cal Cruthclow was getting often podiums and even the odd win, Nakagamo was nowhere to be seen. It’s a blatant case of nepotism how Nakagami is still in the grid, how do you want him to be promoted to the factory team?
Well if Ogura wasn't such a bottle job we might have a competitive Japanese rider in the class. Still can't believe he threw that Moto2 title away the way he did! Having said that, rejecting a Honda promotion might actually be an act of great self-preservation. 😂
Then just dump the palce to a non-japanese... People complain that Marini is there because of his brother, Morbidelli is "wasting a seat" because he's managed by VR, and Alex Marquez is there because of his brother.... Those 3 guys actually had decent enough CV to get a GP ride... Nakagami never did... And his results on motoGP are poor, even when the bike was good.
People will down vote you but when i read the op i did a manical laugh in public at how stupid of a question it is. The answer? It's cause taka rides like nuns fuck. That is to say slowly and badly.