With the first round of the 2022 MotoGP season less than one month away, most teams have already unveiled their latest liveries. Most satellite squads include two bikes showcasing the same sponsor, but Lucio Cecchinello Racing (LCR) Honda does things a little differently. While the LCR Honda Castrol side of the garage prominently bears the Givi and Castrol logos, the LCR Honda Idemitsu side acts as a feeder program for Japanese riders.
Due to separate sponsorships, each LCR arm dreams up its own livery every year, and the Idemitsu Honda RC213V undergoes a significant change in 2022. After many Honda riders struggled with feel and grip in 2021, HRC made a host of changes to the prototype’s chassis, aerodynamics, and engine. As a result, the bike’s bodywork receives an overhaul as well, and the new Idemitsu design follows suit.
Compared to the 2021 colorway, the new LCR livery ditches the red/white/gold tri-color paint job and integrates black into the front fairing, fuel tank, and tail section. For that reason, the white panels and red graphics pop off the new canvas while gold accents add finer details to the design. The team ties Idemitsu rider Takaaki Nakagami’s race suit into the color scheme with black shoulders replacing last year’s red panels.
In his fifth year with the long-time Honda support team, the Japanese rider has shown promise with several front-row starts and a pole position at the 2020 Aragon Grand Prix. However, Nakagami’s first podium finish continues to elude him. Only a few days ago, on February 9, 2022, number 30 turned 30 years old. With Nakagami reaching a critical age and a critical point in his career, his 2022 results could determine whether he keeps his seat with the LCR Honda Idemitsu team.
Luckily, Taka will have the very best that Honda has to offer, and with a sharp new look, the Japanese rider should feel confident heading into the 2022 MotoGP season.
