Johann Zarco admitted he needs to "really open his mind" regarding setup and riding style if he wants to match the speed of Joan Mir, who secured a podium finish for Honda at Sepang. The Frenchman from the LCR team explained that he went back to his previous setup at Phillip Island, reusing older parts from the RC213V in order to regain some confidence.
During the Sepang weekend, zarco had tested different engine versions before reverting to the most recent configuration for the races. This choice allowed him to score points in both races—a first since the Austrian Grand Prix—although he could do no better than 12th in the feature race. Meanwhile, Mir, which had fallen in Sprint While he was in contention for a podium finish, he secured his second top-3 finish in the last four events, confirming his clear progress. Honda.
« The situation at Honda is significantly better than it was a year ago., " said zarco. " Mir's podium finish proves that The motorcycle can aim for the top 5He already felt good, and he confirmed that he was fast. »
Johann Zarco: “ It's not working for me yet. »
zarco, which followed Mir On the track, he admits to having been impressed:
« He has his own driving styleAnd with all this new equipment, he feels very comfortable. I therefore need to find a solution for this new package.We tried to exploit it in several races, but it's not working for me yet. I really need to open myself up to it. another way to adjust the motorcycle and perhaps adapt my style to get the most out of this new Honda, because the potential is there. »
During the race, Luca Marini, teammate of Mir within the HRC and also equipped with the new specification, spent a large part of the event behind zarco before overtaking him and finishing 8th.
With two rounds remaining in the season, zarco maintains a six-point lead over Marini and remains the best driver Honda in the championship MotoGP, occupying 11th place with 134 points. Joan mir He follows further back, 15th with 93 points, but his rise in form confirms that HRC is on the right track after months of intense technical work.
