After a rollercoaster season, Johann Zarco is back in form aboard his Honda RC213V. An unexpected hero of the first third of the 2025 season, the French rider gave Honda a breath of fresh air with a masterful victory at Le Mans and a second-place finish at Silverstone. But since the summer break, his momentum has waned. Ahead of Sunday's Portuguese Grand Prix, Zarco sits 11th in the championship standings with 134 points and remains determined to end the season on a high note.
The pilot Honda LCR approach this Portuguese weekend with a simple objective: to consolidate the confidence regained in Malaysia and aim for the top 5 again.
« It's a pleasure to be back in PortimãoIt feels like we haven't been here for ages, the last race dating back to the start of the 2024 season. "He says.
« Based on the data, we have a baseline, but our motorcycle has evolved a lot. So we're going to go out on the track and see what happens.We know she has the potential for a top 10 finish. If all goes well, a top 5 finish is even possible. »
zarco He wants to be clear-headed but calm. After several falls and capricious adjustments, he seems to have turned the page on his fear.
« I've lost some confidence I was using the motorcycle with its new specifications during overseas races, but I was able to find it again in Malaysia. I'm no longer afraid of falling, which is very important.Based on this, we will try to put in a good performance in Portugal. »
Johann Zarco: “ Honda's goal is to move from rank D to rank C, as they are ashamed of being so low in the standings. »
Aware that the cooler conditions in the Algarve could play a role, the Frenchman remains methodical: You always have to adapt to the conditions, which may be a bit colder here than in the last races. »
Honda prepares to leave the concession status Dreserved for manufacturers MotoGP the least efficient. A symbolic progression, but one that will have concrete consequences: fewer days of testing, no engine development and only one aerodynamic update.
For zarcoThis loss of privileges is actually a logical and even desirable step.
« I think Honda's goal is to move from D to C rank because the Japanese are ashamed of being so low in the standings. That's why it is important to progress " he explains frankly.
This development is also a sign of the manufacturer's growing strength. After months of joint efforts between European and Japanese engineers, the RC213V is finally beginning to deliver tangible potential.
For zarcoThe strategy for 2026 is clear: capitalize on current progress, without spreading ourselves too thin before the major regulatory upheaval of 2027.
« If we consider the situation as a whole, with all the development stages we have gone through and our current ability to aim for the top 5, or even the podium… By 2026, we need to find the consistency necessary to regularly finish in the top five »
« We need to make the most of the new package, which seems to work well.We shouldn't develop a new motorcycle in 2026 if everything changes in 2027.That makes no sense. "A conviction that is not shared by the camp" Yamaha of his compatriot fabio quartararo ...
At 35 years, Johann zarco establishes itself as a pillar of the project HondaLess flamboyant than at Le Mans, but more thoughtful and consistent, it embodies the transition between an era of crisis and a more promising future.
The Frenchman no longer speaks only of results, but of building, of direction and of regained pride — three words that, in Hondahave always led to rebirth.
