As the MotoGP paddock prepares for the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring, LCR Honda rider Johann Zarco has shared his thoughts on the future of the team and the imminent arrival of Aleix Espargaró as rider. essay. Zarco calls for immediate action to turn around Honda's situation, marked by a prolonged lack of victories and a disappointing overall performance.
The last victory of Honda in MotoGP dates back to Austin, 15 months ago, won by alex rins. Since then, four of the five lowest ranked drivers overall have driven an RC213V. Even scoring points has become a challenge for Honda, and the crucial development stages still seem far away.
Dance what contexts, Honda relies heavily on the new concession rules in force since 2024 to expand its list of test drivers, like KTM with Jonas Folger, Pol Espargaró and Dani Pedrosa. From 2025, Aleix Espargaró join Stefan bradl as a test pilot for Honda.
zarco, who joined Honda with the experience of Ducati Desmosedici GP23, expressed his high expectations for I will espargaro : " Aleix has a lot of experience on the Aprilia and that will help us a lot. Because the Aprilia is a motorcycle that many people would like to ride. It's a machine that seems very easy to pilot. This is why Aleix's contribution will help us. »
The regularity of the driving styleI will espargaro is also a major asset for the development of the motorcycle: “He is a driver who has a very consistent driving style. It helps to develop a motorcycle »
Johann Zarco: “ it is crucial that we make the right decisions now »
zarco emphasizes the importance of first impressionsI will espargaro : " the most important will be his first return. Because if you continue to test and get used to the bike, you will forget your past impressions. That's why his first days of testing will be important for us and I'm very curious about them »
However, for zarco, it is crucial not to wait until 2025 to initiate the necessary changes: “ I hope the work that we are doing this year can help us make significant progress for the next one. Afterwards, we will be able to develop further with the contribution of Aleix »
Despite the efforts made this year, zarco notes that the gap with the leaders has widened: “ we found at Assen that we were far too late. Globally, the gap even seems to have widened since the start of the year. Despite the efforts made, the bike is fundamentally not good enough to achieve better results »
Comparing Honda to its competitors, zarco highlights a key difference: “ I don't know how much the others, especially Ducati, have changed from the start of the season until now. But I think they adapted better to the new tires. » He explains that the teams Ducati manage to get the most out of Michelin tires, unlike Honda who continues to struggle with tire vibrations.
The Frenchman concludes with speedweek calling for decisive action to put Honda on the path to success: “ everything we have worked on so far this year is actually enough to develop a completely new bike for next year. It is crucial that we make the right decisions now »
