Japanese rider will join the Moto2 grid once more this weekend, at a track where he debuted in the World Championship in 2013.

After gaining miles and experience at MotorLand Aragon in his first wildcard appearance of the year, Tetsuta Nagashima will get another chance to show his skills in the Moto2 World Championship this weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix. The fifteenth round of the 2016 season is a home race for the Japanese rider, born in Kanagawa, and he previously made his Grand Prix debut at Motegi back in 2013.

Nagashima arrives in Japan two weeks after scoring another podium finish in the Moto2 European Championship -the seventh in nine races- and he is still in contention to finish second overall with one round remaining. In his previous Moto2 wildcard showing for the Ajo Academy in the World Championship this season, he finished 23rd at the Aragon GP.

The Japanese rider will try to match his best result to date in the World Championship (20th), which came on his Grand Prix debut in 2013 at Motegi. He was able to equal the result in 2014 at Austin and Assen.

The Moto2 Japanese GP will take place at 12:20pm local time on Sunday.

Circuit information – Twin Ring Motegi
Length: 4.801 m / 2.983 miles
Width: 15 m
Left corners: 6
Right corners: 8
Longest straight: 762 m / 0.473 miles
Constructed: 1997
Modified: 1997

45 TETSUTA NAGASHIMA
“I’m really looking forward to this second wildcard appearance of the season. It is even more special because it comes at home, in Japan. We have had three intense weeks, with two races: The wildcard at Aragon and the FIM CEV race at Jerez -where I managed to get onto the podium. We arrive here in form and prepared. I have ridden at Motegi many times, although I don’t have great memories of the track. Hopefully that will change this weekend and I will be able to at least improve on my performance from MotorLand Aragon. Getting into the points would be a great reward for the whole team.”