Johann Zarco believes: “For Le Mans, we can dream of a podium”

When he completed the 2024 season of MotoGP With Honda, Johann Zarco did not expect things to go this way in the first five rounds of the current championship. However, after five weekends of competition and ten events, the Frenchman sits seventh in the Drivers' standings, behind fabio quartararo.

Together, the two Frenchmen are currently the two best non-Ducati riders on the grid, with the Borgo Panigale brand having representatives in the top five places of the table.

Just before leaving for Le Mans, where he will be competing in his home race, Johann Zarco took stock of his start to the season by posting a video on his Instagram account. In this debriefing, the Cannes rider did not fail to describe his surprise at the performances recorded, even if he retains a bitter taste from some missed opportunities in the Sprint.

“A short summary of the first five races, begins Johann Zarco. It went pretty well, especially on Sunday, because in the Sprints, it was only in Argentina that I scored points, finishing fourth behind Pecco. Then you have to get into the top nine, which is never easy. We also missed some things.

“In Qatar, I could see the guys on the podium for almost the entire race, recalls the Habs. This is something we never would have imagined last year. When I said I wanted to aim for the top 10 in every race, I thought it was doable, but it wasn't going to be easy. And now it's better. The top 10 is doable every time, and even the top 5."

 

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A podium at Le Mans for Johann Zarco?

At the Spanish Grand Prix, the latest round, the Honda rider recorded his worst weekend of 2025 so far. Outside of the sprint points, he missed out on the top 10 for the first time this year, but still managed to salvage the few points awarded for eleventh place.

Zarco, however, assures that he has learned lessons from this weekend, which will serve him for the rest of the European tour. "On the way back to Europe, we had to take stock. The weekend was a bit of a bust. I still took some points with 11th place. Then there was the test, and we were able to recover a bit. We better understood the technicalities of the small circuits."

The Frenchman therefore began to dream big for the French Grand Prix, not hesitating to display his ambitions. "I think that for Le Mans, it can go much better, and we can perhaps dream of a podium finish."

Hopes of a Frenchman securing a podium finish at home are growing even more with these statements. Fabio Quartararo also believes in a podium finish after securing a fair second place in Jerez. In addition to the French team's excellent form, the Tech3 team, led by Maverick Viñales, is also looking forward to defending its interests at home after the Spaniard's solid weekends.

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