Takaaki Nakagami has been confirmed for a wildcard ride at the Japanese MotoGP in October. The event is scheduled for 2–4 October and serves as the first of two back-to-back Asian races.
This appearance marks Nakagami’s first MotoGP race since competing at Motegi last season. He has not raced in the category in 2026, despite Johann Zarco being injured since May; Zarco has been replaced by Cal Crutchlow.
Wildcard entries will be banned from the MotoGP season starting this year, though some sources describe the change as a phase-out.
Nakagami has served as an HRC MotoGP test rider since retiring from full-time racing at the end of the 2024 season. During this period, he has competed twice as a wildcard for HRC, achieving a best result of sixth at the French Grand Prix last May.
His previous wildcard entry at Motegi last year ended with a retirement from the Sunday race. For the upcoming event, Nakagami stated that his goal throughout the weekend will be to gather as much useful data as possible.