Johann Zarco Breaks Honda’s Top Ten Drought: A Promising Performance Ahead of Motegi

Johann Zarco cracks the top ten for Honda: “Let’s see what happens in Motegi”

Honda’s best MotoGP finish since Marc Marquez at Buriram 2023.

Johann Zarco achieved a ninth-place finish at Mandalika on Sunday, marking Honda's first top-ten result in MotoGP since Marc Marquez at Buriram in 2023.

Despite accidents occurring in front of him, Zarco capitalized on the situation, capping off a strong weekend. The French rider achieved his best qualifying position of the season by securing seventh place and went on to finish eighth in the Sprint race.

The initial disadvantage of a weak start in the grand prix was swiftly overturned when four competitors crashed in front of him at Turn 3. Despite this, the LCR rider managed to complete the first lap in eleventh position.

"I'm feeling great!" exclaimed Zarco. "We're losing time at the beginning. We're aware of it, but there's nothing we can do right now. However, I noticed Jack and Vinales battling intensely. I could have been closer to them by turn 3, but I had a sense to be cautious. When they all went down, I thought, 'Alright, I have this opportunity. I'll try to catch up with the group ahead of me.'"

On the next lap, Zarco passed Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo, but they stayed close behind him. The three riders, along with KTM's Brad Binder, fought for the majority of the race for what ultimately turned into a contest for sixth position.

"I couldn't catch up to the other riders quickly. Maverick faced some difficulties at the start, and Brad did too. However, it was extremely challenging because of the poor acceleration when exiting corners. Even though I felt confident while braking, overtaking was impossible—especially Brad, who excels at braking," Zarco said.

"Fabio Quartararo showed up and managed to pass me, then overtook Brad and pulled ahead. After I got past Brad, I put in strong lap times, aiming to catch up to Fabio and distance myself from Brad."

As the final lap started, Zarco found himself positioned between Quartararo and Binder, but he was unable to fend off the South African racer.

"I attempted to hold off Brad and accelerate during the final lap to stay ahead, but he made his move. I tried to counter-attack, but he handled it effectively. Besides, I was already satisfied with my standing. Therefore, I accept this top 10 finish."

"It was a great chance starting from Friday. This track appears to suit us well, and I'm pleased that I seized the opportunity both on Saturday and Sunday."

After the Sprint race, Zarco mentioned that numerous Japanese staff members had already expressed their gratitude to him. He attributed his success to improvements in his braking skills and the enhanced performance provided by the newest Honda fairing.

However, he feels that the track was favorable for them and noted that acceleration problems are still present. Therefore, he is interested in observing the RC213V's performance in front of the HRC executives in Japan this weekend.

"Now let's look forward to Motegi," Zarco remarked. "I definitely feel motivated, confident, and happier now when I ride, especially since I am performing well in braking. Additionally, I am aware that Motegi involves a lot of braking and acceleration."

"Now, we will find out whether our acceleration weakness significantly impacts us in Motegi."

"Looking at the track's design, the acceleration issue is really only a problem on the main straight. The rest of the course is quite smooth, and that might be the reason—along with the new fairing—that I could keep up with the others and record good lap times."

"We'll find out if the acceleration issue significantly impacts our time at Motegi. However, I believe the track's design here was advantageous, and the hard front tire performed well for us."

According to Zarco, Motegi will serve as a valuable test to assess their capabilities and areas for improvement. He indicated that his strong showing on a more fluid track layout might bode well for the upcoming race at Phillip Island.

LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami initially secured an eleventh-place finish on Sunday, but a penalty for tyre pressure dropped him to twelfth and last. Meanwhile, Repsol Honda riders Luca Marini and Joan Mir were involved in an accident during the first lap.

Zarco currently leads Nakagami by six points for the 17th position in the world championship standings and is the highest-ranked Honda rider.

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