LCR Honda rider Johann Zarco expressed his satisfaction after finishing 12th at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix. While the placing itself may seem modest, what particularly encouraged the Frenchman was the pace he managed to maintain throughout the race, as well as the reduced gap to the leaders, including Francesco Bagnaia, who finished on the podium.
"It was an impressive pace ", told zarco. " I couldn't believe what I was seeing on my dashboard. We did almost the entire race below the 1'29 mark. I put all my concentration to repeat everything I did and I stayed with the guys in front of me »
zarco recognized the persistent limitations of its Honda, particularly in terms of handling and traction, but he was pleased with the progress: " the bike still has this limit that I struggle with, I can't get it to turn the way I want and control the traction. But we must remember that a few months ago, we had the impression that we were not playing in the same category. Today we were with the others. » And he proclaims it to whoever wants to hear it: « we are back in the race ».
One of the most encouraging aspects for John Zarco is the gap of only 10 seconds with Pecco Bagnaia, a positive indicator according to him, after a series of disappointing results for Honda this season.
This Australian Grand Prix marks the sixth consecutive race in the points for Johann Zarco.
Ce Australian Grand Prix marks the sixth consecutive run in the points for zarco, with a ninth place in Indonesia two meetings ago as his best recent result.
The course of zarco at Phillip Island probably played in his favour, as it is a circuit where he has already triumphed in 2023 for Bow Ducati. However, the Frenchman's confidence is reinforced by the fact that even with a Honda in difficulty, he managed to stay in the pack with competitive times. This Australian circuit, where the gaps are often tighter, allowed the Frenchman to compensate for some of the weaknesses of his machine.
The correct form of zarco is shared by other drivers Honda, like the former world champion Joan mir, who expressed some optimism after improvements seen at the Japanese Grand Prix. However, this progress has not yet fully translated into results for the factory team, particularly with the difficulties encountered by Mir after being knocked out of the race by Alex Marquez.
Honda also has reason to hope for a better future with the arrival of Roman Albesian, current technical director ofAprilia, within his team for the 2025 season. This technical reinforcement could allow Honda to regain the competitiveness it has lacked in recent years.
In short, if Honda has not yet regained all its brilliance in MotoGP, Johann zarco is optimistic about the future. The Phillip Island race showed encouraging signs, and with technical developments to come, hopes of a return to the top seem to be growing.
MotoGP, Australia J3,: ranking
