Read the first part of this interview: HRC Honda Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto interview, Part 1
In the first part of his interview with Japanese journalist Yoko Tagashi, HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto opened up about the riders under his purview. Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner has impressed Nakamoto while teammate Dani Pedrosa hasn’t. And neither has San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Marco Simoncelli, though Nakamoto believes he has the makings of a future world champion.
In the second part of the interview Nakamoto talks more about the future of MotoGP and the resistance many riders have voiced to going to the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.
In a bid to grow the ever-diminishing grid, series promoter Dorna, along with the MSMA (Motorsports Manufacturers Association) and the FIM came up with the Claiming Rules Team concept. CRT teams can use highly developed production engines in prototype frames. To make it more enticing they get an allowance on fuel and the number of engines they can use. This was a way to lure manufacturers like BMW, Aprilia, and others at a cost below that of a full-on MotoGP effort. The results have been disappointing. At the most recent test following the Brno GP Mika Kallio had his best outing on the BMW-powered Suter. The Finnish rider ended the test “only” four seconds slower than Casey Stoner. Most paddock wags don’t see the point of these bikes, which will run at the back of the pack among themselves. Nakamoto isn’t a fan either.
" The level of radiation there is less than in Rome and one-tenth of what you get while you are flying.
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Q: What do you think of CRT teams next year?
N: I don’t really care. Those who wish to do it can do it. I am not interested and I am not supplying Honda Superbike engines to them.
Q: At the moment, there are only six teams but if there were 16 slow riders, it would be dangerous.
N: In the case of Le Mans 24 Endurance car race, there are several classes, so…
Q: But MotoGP is the supreme class in road racing and it should be a prototype class like F1.
N: I think they should continue prototype class even though there are some difficulties. Otherwise its value will be lowered.
Q: Don’t you tell Dorna your opinion?
N: They just give some ideas without consulting us.
Q: Ignoring the MSMA’s opinion?
N: They just say it is already announced.
Q; I hear you have told all the Honda teams that they must go to Motegi.
N: The correct information is not being told, so I gave them the correct ones, which is that from a 30 km area from the Fukushima nuclear plant it is prohibited to enter. And you’d better not go within 80 km. But Mito, where many of us stay, is 120 km away and Motegi is even farther. The level of radiation there is less than in Rome and one-tenth of what you get while you are flying. The nuclear power plant is not 100% stable yet, so you never know what will happen but I will update the information. So don’t panic. There is no reason you say ‘I don’t want to go.’
Q: But if the situation gets worse…
N: Of course in that case I would not push the riders to come.
Q: If the situation doesn’t change but riders say they don’t want to go, what will you do? It looks like Jorge and Valentino are the leaders. (Casey didn’t mention his opinion until the German Grand Prix and softened it in Brno. Lorenzo has been left hanging.)
N: Casey also. The situation of the nuclear power plant is improving. For instance, a machine from a French company to help with clean-up has arrived and…
Q: But it breaks so much.
N: But when you are trying to start a new thing, you cannot immediately succeed. Same in the case of motorcycle development. You start development and it breaks and you mend it and try again. In Japan, restoration can be done quickly. For instance, the damaged highway was restored in a week. That cannot be done in other countries. Everyone who hears this would say, ‘Yes, Japan is very good.’ But the next moment they say they don’t want to go to Motegi. Under the present situation, I would not let them abandon the event.
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