Takaaki Nakagami sprung a surprise to end his rookie year as a MotoGP rider on top of the tiꦺmesheets during🌱 the final day of 2018 testing, at Jerez.

The LCR Honda rider, third fastest on day one, posted a 1m 37.945s o🎃n his 63rd of 66 laps to edge out none other than Repsol Honda's reigning world champion Marc Marquez by 0.025s.

"O🐎f course, I'm really happy to endܫ the season like this," Nakagami said.

"I didn't expꦉect P1. This is only a test, so I don't know how mucღh the other riders' give. Some people 100%, some 80%. But at the end of the day we did the best lap time, a 1m '37 is quite a high level and P1 is good to see."

Comparing his pace to Marquez, Nakagami explained: "In some sectors I'm stronger than Marc, but e🤡specially sector 3 he is the best and two tenths faster than me.

"In sector 2 I was 0.2 faster than Marc, so this combination. But I want to see the data to see which area, I want to compareꦛ the riding style.▨"

While Marquez was comparing next year's 2019 prototype with this yearꦏ's bike, Nakagami's situation was 'simpl♎er'.

The Japanese, who took a 2017-spec RCV to a best ꦬfinish of sixt🎶h in this year's world championship, was handed team-mate Cal Crutchlow's 2018 spec bike from the Valencia test and feels it’s a significant step forward.

"From the Valencia test we've kept on Cal's 2018 bike. It's difficult to say how many percen🧸tꦇ [it's better]but it's a big jump," said Nakagami.

"The power delivery has improved a🐼 lot, especially middle to top [RPM] you can feel more power. On the bottom end it feels a little more easy ꧟to ride, more sweet, and that's why with the used tyre the lap time is much more consistent than last year and with a high level. Many '38s, many low '39s.

"Here we've tried to fo🏅cus on the rear grip. The set-up is improving and the feeling is better than yesterday. So it's quite simple to make a positive or negative and I'm really happy abo♎ut the result.

"Especially t🐻he rear grip on exit of the corner. From the apex to the f💙irst part of turning and we'll try to keep working on this area."

And might 🍒such performances lead to increased Hon💞da support for 2019?

"Of course, maybe first priority goes to Repsol, but if we continue to make a strong race maybe some items can be brou👍ght to us.

"But anywa෴y, at this moment I'm really happy about the package of the 2018 bike.

"I know Cal, Marc and Lorenzo use 2019 bikes, but it's not⛦ a big gap like 2017-2018. Maybe 2018-2019 is a much closer gap. So we will see for the future."