MotoGP: LCR Honda reveals 2023 bike

LCR Honda has unveiled the team’s 2023 Honda RC213Vs, with Alex Rins joining the team.

LCR Honda has launched their 2023 MotoGP campaign, ahead of the Portimao MotoGP Test. Takaaki Nakagami will continue with the LCR Honda team, with Alex Rins switching from Suzuki.

Takaaki Nakagami will enter his sixth season in the MotoGP World Championship, and his sixth year with the LCR team. Nakagami has had great success with the LCR Honda team, including a pole position in 2020 at Aragon.

Nakagami had a tough 2022 season, finishing 18^th in the World Championship standings, finishing behind his teammate. The 31-year-olds best result came at Jerez and Le Mans, with a back-to-back seventh place finish.

Nakagami had to miss three race weekends last season, after injuring his hand at Aragon in a crash involving Marc Marquez. He would return at his home race in Japan but would prove to be too early.

Alex Rins makes the switch to Honda after Suzuki announced their departure from MotoGP at the end of 2022. The Spaniard switches to a V4-powered race bike for the first time in his MotoGP career.

Both Suzuki and Rins had an extremely competitive 2022 season, with Rins finishing seventh in the standings. He would take two race wins throughout the year, winning at Australia and the final race for the Japanese manufacturer in Valencia.

Rins will replace Alex Marquez at the LCR Honda team after Marquez makes the switch to Gresini Ducati.

The LCR Honda team finished 10^th position in the Teams’ standings after a tough 2022 season. The team would have three riders in 2022, with Tetsuta Nagashima replacing fellow Japanese rider, Takaaki Nakagami.

Rins said: “This is going to be my 7^th season in MotoGP and every year I’m learning something new. I learnt a lot during these years to work under pressure, to be calm with a lot of pressure and with a lot of speed on track. Especially in the last years, I made a big step on my mentality to be calm and to manage different situations

“I will start 2023 with work and determination, working on my bike to have good potential.”

Nakagami said: “My 2023 goal is to be competitive; we have some different format for the weekend, we have sprint races. It’s going to be tough and so busy, but we are ready to be competitive, to fight and hopefully, we can put it together and make a successful season. We are ready, hopefully, we can have great, great races in the future.” 

Image credit: LCR Honda