Zarco Clinches Best Honda Finish Despite Pace Woes at San Marino MotoGP

Johann Zarco expressed contentment with scoring points, yet he was disappointed by Honda's continuous slow speed. Zarco welcomes tying his top finish for Honda by securing the 12th spot in the San Marino MotoGP, though he's disheartened by the overall poor performance.

Johann Zarco was ready to embrace the decent points earned from finishing 12th in the San Marino MotoGP, recognizing his luck in achieving such a result due to choosing the right strategy under the rainy circumstances at Misano.

The rider from France, who secured a victory racing for Pramac Ducati in the previous season, is facing a challenging debut year on a Honda as a member of the LCR squad, with his highest achievement being a 12th-place finish as the season enters its 13th round.

At Misano earlier in the weekend, Zarco, along with his Honda peers, struggled, remaining at the lower end of the rankings in both the qualifying rounds and the Sprint Race, failing to surpass his previous best performance.

Nevertheless, the two-time Moto2 World Champion experienced a stroke of luck throughout the entire race as he opted to remain on track amid fluctuating weather conditions, instead of following the lead of many competitors who decided to pit for a bike equipped for wet conditions.

When the weather improved, necessitating a switch from wet tyres back to slick ones for those who had changed, Zarco maintained his lead as the top Honda rider, crossing the finish line in 12th place to secure four important points.

While happy to secure valuable points – an accomplishment he managed only seven times this year – his dissatisfaction persists due to Honda's overall performance shortfall compared to its competitors.

"We fell short in speed, and it's disappointing that I was unable to make a difference. Right from the start, I was eager to compete, but I just couldn't keep up with the rest.

"Managing feelings while riding is challenging, yet aware of the overcast weather and the unpredictable conditions it could bring, I'm pleased since we opted to maintain our spot until the finish."

LCR team member Takaaki Nakagami, who is set to be succeeded by Somkiat Chantra next season, also felt fortunate for his tactical decision, finishing in 13th position to score points.

"I noticed a few cyclists heading into the pits and my reaction was one of gratitude!"

"We were just a few positions away from scoring earlier, but today we had a stroke of good fortune and ended up securing some points. It came as quite a shock."

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