Takaaki Nakagami will step in for the recovering Luca Marini at the Brembo Grand Prix of Italy this weekend, taking over duties in the Honda HRC Castrol squad.
This marks Nakagami’s second MotoGP appearance of the season, following a strong P6 finish at Le Mans, where he impressed with both race pace and composure. Since then, the Japanese rider has remained active through extensive testing as Honda continues its effort to refine the RC213V, and the Italian GP offers a valuable opportunity to push development even further.
Honda HRC confirmed in a pre-race update that Marini returned to Italy during the Aragon GP weekend and is undergoing regular medical evaluations. While there’s no fixed date for his return, both the team and the rider are maintaining close communication regarding his recovery timeline.
With Honda aiming to claw back competitiveness in a tough 2025 season, Nakagami’s experience and technical feedback will be critical — not only in maintaining continuity but also in advancing the RC213V’s performance under race conditions.
