Nakagami out of Argentina race after positive COVID-19 test

LCR Honda rider Takaaki Nakagami will miss this weekend’s Argentina MotoGP round after testing positive for COVID-19.

Paddock sources informed The Race that Nakagami has remained in Spain instead of travelling to Termas de Rio Hondo for the third round of the season.

He later confirmed he had not travelled to Argentina.

“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.

The Japanese rider is 14th in the standings with six points, following a 10th-place finish in the season-opening Qatar race. Like all the Honda riders, he struggled at the second round in Indonesia and finished a distant 19th.

With only a few days’ notice it is unlikely that LCR will have had time to replace Nakagami for this weekend’s race.

The Argentina weekend is the first of an Americas double-header, with the following round at the Circuit of the Americas taking place next weekend. Nakagami said he hoped to be available for that race.

Nakagami’s absence means the Honda line-up will be further depleted this weekend, as Marc Marquez has also been ruled out following a recurrence of the double vision issues that forced him to miss the end of the 2021 season.

He will be replaced by Honda test rider Stefan Bradl, who might otherwise have been considered as a replacement for Nakagami at his old LCR Honda team but will instead ride for the factory Honda team.