Takaaki Nakagami says LCR MotoGP team-mate Johann Zarco “clear🧸ly did a big mistake” and blames him for their collision in the Japanese Grand Prix sprint.

The two Honda riders were battling well outside of the points on lap five of the 12-lap sprint on Saturday at M🌞otegi when they came together.

Zarco went for a move on the inside of his team-mate at the Turn 2 right-hander and ꧋made contact, which sent the Japanese rider onto the deck and out of the sprint.

The stewards took a dim v✱iew of this move from Zarco and gave him a long lap penalty, with the Frenchman 14th at the chequered flag.

Nakagami, taking part in his last Japanese GP weekend as a full-time rider, says he is “disappointed” with Zarco and feels 𓆏he is full﷽y to blame.

“C🎀learly, I think he did a big mistake,” Nakaga꧑mi said.

“It was clearly not an overtaking point. I was disappointed in how he moved and w✱e touchꦕed each other.

“I was [on the] outside and unfortunately I lost the front an💎d finished in the grav♑el.

“So, definitely I’m super dis🤡appointed how the sprint finished and wit⛄h the team-mate I’m disappointed.”

Zarco defended himself and believes Nakagami could have done more to avoid the clash, as Tech3 rider Augusto Fernande🦹z had done when the Frenchman made a similar move.

“I tried to go insi🗹de because I got more corne💛r speed than Taka,” Zarco added.

“And also the lap before I was not so far from this manoeuvre. And in that moment I wanted to overtake to try to come ✨back to the ot꧅her guys in front.

“So, I did the move but he has been surprised.

“Then I could do it also on Augusto Fernand𒐪ez and Augusto could lift the bike up a 𒊎bit.

“But I expected that he could maybe se꧋e me before, but he was not ready and sorry for him that he crashed.”