After three years at Prima Pramac Racing, Johann Zarco will be taking on a new challenge at the end of 2023 as the Frenchman gears up for a switch to LCR Honda Castrol.
It’s a move that we only started hearing about at the British GP once Alex Rins (LCR Honda Castrol) was confirmed to be replacing Franco Morbidelli at Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™. Unlike some 2024 rider market mutterings, Zarco to Honda has quickly become a reality.
The #5 has been a key cog in Ducati’s success over the last few years, notching up 13 podiums between 2020 and the 2023 Austrian GP. It’s no surprise that given the situation they find themselves in, Honda see Zarco as a great fit to try to help them get out of the hole as quickly as possible. Zarco is a rider who has raced and helped shape the Ducati Desmosedici into the most refined package on the grid, so poaching him from the Italian marque makes complete sense for the Japanese giants.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) says it himself: “Johann is coming from the best bike on the grid, the Ducati, so yeah I think he will be a big help for Honda.”
Out of their current crop of full-time stars, only Rins and Joan Mir (Repsol Honda Team) have experience with a different make of machine - and it’s the same one in Suzuki. The fact that Aprilia are the only factory Zarco doesn’t have experience with makes him a prized asset to Honda. Four seasons riding an ever-improving and world-beating Ducati might be the aid Honda need. Look at Jack Miller and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for a similar story. But Zarco’s acquaintances with other factories could also bring benefits.
Zarco has piloted a Suzuki (2016 private test), a Yamaha in 2017 and 2018, a KTM in 2019 and of course a Ducati most recently. After leaving KTM prematurely, Zarco also got his first taste of Honda’s RC213V in 2019 when he replaced Takaaki Nakagami at LCR Honda Idemitsu for the final three rounds. Obviously, MotoGP™ bikes have changed quite considerably in recent seasons. However, that doesn’t change the valuable information the 33-year-old boasts from his time in the premier class.
Experience, speed, and a hunger to win. Zarco has all the ingredients that Honda need in their quest to try and turn their fortunes around. Honda will have a total of 12 World Championship titles on their roster in 2024, with Zarco and Mir’s two apiece added onto Marc Marquez’s (Repsol Honda Team) eight. That’s a serious lineup.
Mir explains that someone like Zarco is rider that Honda “needs”, while Nakagami describes it as “very positive news” for the factory. If Zarco's input can help mould the RC213V back into a competitive package, Honda's riders are capable of squeezing out an extra tenth or two.
Honda are desperate to return to competing for wins and World Championships. Adding Zarco to their arsenal feels like a great move for the factory, while Zarco gets to get his teeth stuck into a fresh challenge. It’s going to be fascinating to see how it plays out.