Johann Zarco voluntarily left Ducati this season, as the brand only offered him a one-year contract, preferring to sign a two-year deal with an option for a third year with Honda LCR. The abandonment of the Desmosedici GP for the RC213V also resulted in the exit from the regular fight for the top 10 and finding itself at the bottom of the standings, a transition already experienced in 2019.
At the time, the Frenchman switched from Yamaha, with which he won his first poles and podiums, to a KTM which at the time lacked performance and on which he was in great difficulty. This is precisely where he sees a difference with his current situation on the Honda, a bike that suits his style even if it is left behind. Above all, Zarco feels he now has the experience needed to face a difficult phase, something he didn't handle well five years ago.
“I was scared when I switched from Yamaha to KTM,” explained the Honda LCR rider. “This is why I left KTM during the 2019 season, I was really afraid of losing my talent. Now I no longer have this fear because with what I learned in Ducati I have so many references, even about myself, that I can see the situation is much better.”
“For this reason, I can really separate my mind between what comes from the material and what I can do. Because of my age and my experience, I know that I can trust the project and almost wait, I would say, because I have enough experience not to lose this trust.”
Furthermore, being behind with Honda does not have the same meaning as being behind with KTM in 2019, because MotoGP has changed a lot: “When I was at KTM, I wasn't even able to fight. Now, ok, we fight for 13th, 14th position, but the level is so high that even fighting for 12th means something. It doesn't mean we're out of the running. That's why I'm really happy to accept this challenge, because I feel like I won't lose control of myself same”.
Johann Zarco
Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Zarco's contract with LCR will likely be his last in MotoGP and, having proven himself, he is at a stage in his career where he is more comfortable going through a difficult period. If leaving KTM had become an emergency for his future – not knowing that the bike would be, in his words, “metamorphised between 2019 and 2020” – this time he sees the possibility of contributing to Honda's turnaround as an interesting opportunity.
“I'm not in the same situation at all, I've grown since then and I was able to demonstrate, to people and to myself, that I was starting to manage the category. That's why I'm benefiting more from repeating this phrase: 'Go ahead, do it your job as a driver, the others are trying to understand, you're growing at the same time.' As a man, simply, it's very interesting, but I don't get discouraged because I feel I can do it.”
Zarco remains very confident about the future
Just look at the qualifying standings, where the four Honda riders reduced the gap, to understand the brand's difficulties in Portimão. The RC123V lacks rear grip, which has cost it dearly since the start of the weekend on a track with very little grip due to the sand-mixed rain that fell on Thursday night. Not that Zarco has to worry about the future, especially since Honda is doubling down on efforts to correct the situation.
“I'm a very consistent rider, and that's why my way of riding provides Honda with constant information, so that we have a base and can progress from there. In the race it's time to fight, because when you're on the bike you just think about fighting. It's something I can do and I'm happy with at least that. I'm very focused and I'm not losing focus or motivation because this is just the beginning. I'm very confident.”
“Honda needs to control everything very well, so with the new project they have launched, they are working on it and we will see. We always receive confirmation on what we are missing. You can't build something new in just one race.”
“They have to control things, a bit like me in the end,” Zarco summed up. “This is why I maintain my confidence, because it's only the second race. We expected something good, but we didn't get anything good. The gaps aren't huge, which is why we can't get demoralized, at least not now.”
Watch: MotoGP: Jorge Martin dominates Portimao | 2024 #PortugueseGP
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