Even before the 2025 MotoGP World Championship began, the verdict seemed clear: all the major brands had their champion. Ducati lined up Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia. Yamaha was counting on Fabio Quartararo. Aprilia was betting big on Jorge Martin. KTM, for its part, was banking on the youth of Pedro Acosta and the experience of Maverick Viñales. And Honda? No one saw a top-tier rider in it. Wrong.
Because after seven races, a name stands out where we least expected it: Johann zarco. In 34 years ago, the Frenchman was doing the unthinkable. Not only was he performing, but he was reaching heights that no other driver had achieved. Honda had not reached since… Marc Marquez.
Two consecutive podiums – a victory at the Mans, a second place at Silverstone – this is what zarco has just achieved. And it is a historic feat for the HRC : no pilot had achieved this since Marc Marquez had completed Austin and Misano in 2021. Since then, it has been nothing. zarco breaks this drought with panache, on a motorcycle that many said was still incapable of playing at the front.
Johann Zarco: Honda's trump card
Result? Honda is now second in the constructors' standings MotoGP, before Aprilia, KTM et Yamaha . Zarco, himself, totals 97 points in just seven races. A metronomic rhythm. At this rate, he could overtake the 142 points that Marc Marquez had scored in 2021 – a decade record for a driver Honda. And back then, there was no sprint. zarco, he plays with the new rules and turns them into an advantage.
His contract expires at the end of the year, but the question no longer arises: Honda must keep it. And not just at home LCR. Voices are already being raised for him to take the reins of the official team, as the new face of HRC. It would be deserved.
Because deep down, the real question is perhaps no longer "What if Honda had a top-level driver? ", but rather "What if Johann zarco had always been? Those who still doubted him would do well to revise their judgment. zarco does more than save his career: he rewrites history HondaIn a paddock obsessed with youth, the Frenchman proves that experience and racing intelligence remain decisive weapons.
