Johann Zarco approaches the Italian Grand Prix with a desire to turn the page after a complicated weekend at Aragon. Currently sixth in the World Championship, the LCR Honda rider remains the best non-Ducati rider and has been the symbol of Honda's recovery in MotoGP for several months. With a 16-point lead over Marco Bezzecchi, his closest non-Ducati rival, Zarco has demonstrated impressive consistency on a bike that has long been considered a struggler.
The weekend at Aragon marked a setback. Sixteenth in the Sprint, zarco then fell in the main race after eight laps: " We weren't ready for Aragon. Even with a bad weekend, a top 10 finish was still possible without the crash. But here at Mugello, everything that went wrong should be much better. »
« We are better prepared here. Of course, I hope this will bring me closer to the top 6, or even a little closer. ". Confident, zarco hopes to enter the top 6 and why not aim a little higher this weekend.
The layout of the Mugello Honda is known for favoring powerful machines, but the 213 Honda RC2025V seems more consistent, especially in the hands of the Frenchman. This weekend will also be an opportunity to compare the performances of the four Honda aligned, with the return of Takaaki Nakagami, which replaces Luca marini, forfeit after his test at Suzuka.
Johann Zarco: “ Toprak Razgatlioglu has talent, he is special, he will make the difference."
The other topic that animates the paddock is of course the arrival of Toprak Razgatlioglu in MotoGP with Yamaha Pramac in 2026. Asked about this, zarco did not fail to establish an interesting parallel. He will soon participate in the legendary endurance race of Suzuka on a Honda CBR Superbike, which constitutes a sort of symbolic back and forth between the two worlds:
« I'm not having any trouble adapting. I only know Suzuka with the CBR, so I don't have any MotoGP references to unlearn. My experience allows me to make the necessary adjustments almost instantly. »
Concerning Toprak Razgatlioglu en MotoGP, zarco warns however: " Michelin tires can be trickyHe always rode Pirellis. But I have no doubt Toprak has the talent. I'm curious to see how he'll adapt his spectacular style to our machines. He's special, he'll make the difference. »
