Katsuyuki Nakasuga to start race from 15th grid position

[totalmotorcycle]

@Katsuyuki @Nakasuga to start race from 15th grid position


After the three free practice sessions, Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha Factory Racing Team) stood in 19th position overall as he went into the Q1 qualifying session. Only the top two finishers in this Q1 session would qualify to move on to Q2 and compete for pole position, and shortly after the start of the session, Nakasuga's name did indeed sit at the number two spot on the time board for a while. In the end, however, he had dropped to 5th position and failed to move on to Q2.
Still, he had managed to better his personal best for Motegi (1'46.7) in the third free practice session with a time of 1'46.280. Then, in Q1 he lowered his time again to 1'45.476 and thus proved that his machine was indeed set up well for Sunday's race.



Katsuyuki Nakasuga

15th / 1'45.496 / 7 laps

"Yesterday's fall really boosted my motivation. Then in today's third free practice session I beat my personal best with a time of 1'46.280, and then I got a 1'45.476 in Q1. That time even surprised me, and it was a time that my team wasn't expecting either. By getting a time in the 1'45 range, I feel that I have gotten a little closer to a point where I can get a better understanding of how Rossi and Lorenzo are riding. Of course, they are riding at a different level from me, but I feel that I have now gotten a better idea of things, that I haven't experienced before like how they are sliding their front and rear tires. In tomorrow's race, my primary goal will be to be in the top 15. And from there, I will try to move up as high as I can. There are a lot of fast riders in this year's MotoGP, so it is no easy job to finish in the top 15, but I am going to give everything I have to that challenge."





Team Manager Ogata Hiroaki
"Yesterday we went through our test menu aimed at Rossi and Lorenzo, and from today we have been setting up the machine for Nakasuga to race on. And, in the third free practice session he managed to get a personal best lap time for Motegi at 1'46.280. Then in the qualifying Q1 session he bettered that with a time of 1'45.496. I feel that this was a time that Nakasuga achieved with pure guts and determination. He said that he almost fell a number of times, but the lap time he got shows that the machine was set up well for him by Q1. With the test menu all done and nothing left for him to do but concentrate on the race ahead, I want to do our best to support Nakasuga's race effort now. Without a doubt, the overall competitive level [of MotoGP] has risen considerably this year, and I feel that the value of finishing in the top 15 and earning points has increased significantly. So, I hope he will be able to finish at least in the top 15, and as high as possible from there."



2015 MotoGP Japan

Twin Ring Motegi 10/10/2015

1 Jorge Lorenzo
Yamaha
ESP 1'43.790
2 Valentino Rossi
Yamaha
ITA 1'43.871
3 Marc Marquez Honda ESP 1'44.216
4 Andrea Dovizioso Ducati ITA 1'44.322
5 Andrea Iannone Ducati ITA 1'44.436
6 Daniel Pedrosa Honda ESP 1'44.582
7 Aleix Espargaro Suzuki ESP 1'44.809
8 Cal Crutchlow Honda GBR 1'44.932
9 Bradley Smith
Yamaha
GBR 1'45.067
10 Maverick Viñales Suzuki ESP 1'45.081
11 Pol Espargaro
Yamaha
ESP 1'45.219
12 Scott Redding Honda GBR 1'45.333
13 Stefan Bradl Aprilia DE 1'45.432
14 Yonny Hernandez Ducati COL 1'45.438
15 Katsuyuki Nakasuga Yamaha JPN 1'45.496
23 Loris Baz
Yamaha
FRA 1'46.048
25 Toni Elias Yamaha ESP 1'46.256





Circuit Length:
4801
Lap Record:
1'45.350
(Jorge Lorenzo, 1-1-2014)
Fastest Lap Ever:
1'43.790
(Jorge Lorenzo, 11-10-2015)
Last Years Winner:
Jorge Lorenzo