After struggling with his healing shoulder during the opening test of the year in🐟 Sepang, Takaaki Nakagami made swift progress durin🎶g the final pre-season outing in Qatar.

Although the LCR Honda rider is using the 2019-spec RCV, Nakagami feels he could have challenged his best MotoGP r✅esult of fifth had the Losail race weekend gonไe ahead as planned.

Nakagami withdrew from last seasoꦚn after his home Motegi round in O♐ctober, in order to undergo major shoulder surgery, and "at the Sepang test I wasn't fit, less than 60%," he told the official MotoGP website.

"But then after two weeks we went to the Qatar test and I began to find the limit of our bike, w🅷hich is the 2019 spec bike.

"On Cal's side I heard about the struggles with the 2ꦦ020 bike but we don’t have time to worry about the other side of the garage. I feel th🍰ere is some more potential between the 2018 and 2019 bikes. Some positive points, not everywhere, but we can go faster [with the 2019].

"At the end of the Qatar test I felt I could fight for the top five or six in the grand prix. That was our target. We would need to find another step for the podium so I have to keep growing, but I🐠 feel the base is quite high, very high."

The ongoing coronavirus delay means Nakagami expects to⛦ be "fit and ready" when the season finally starts, but warned:

"It looks like Octo♏ber and especially 🧸November will be so tight [with the delayed race schedule]. This has never happened before. It's going to be tough for everybody."

Nakagami finished ninth in la🐈sဣt year's Qatar Grand Prix.