A fourth place that “feels good” for Johann Zarco

Johann Zarco never ceases to amaze us! The French driver once again took his Honda to heights we thought unsuspected in the final standings of the Qatar Grand Prix. Fifth at the checkered flag, he appears in fourth position on the official results sheet. The number 5 driver finished just two tenths away from a podium finish that would have been unexpected. However, he wasn't overly disappointed when speaking to Canal+ after the Grand Prix.

“It feels good. The little mix-up at Turn 12 at the start of the race was beneficial. I had a few fewer people in front of me that way. I overtook Morbidelli after he lost some time; I noticed he was struggling with his tire. I didn't want to lose time behind him and I was able to pass him. It was too hard to come back to Bagnaia; even keeping the same pace as him was getting complicated. I had some vibrations, but I managed to manage them, and I'm happy about that. Morbidelli then came back and passed me. It was hard to try to attack at the last corner; I didn't want to take any risks.”

"We would have signed for this result"

On a machine that hit rock bottom in 2024, the work of Zarco and his Honda teammates is paying off handsomely this season. In addition to the French rider's sixth place in the championship, Luca Marini, for example, is in the top 10 with 26 points. That's already twelve more than he did in the entirety of last year! Another positive sign is Johann Zarco's thirst for results, which proves that the Japanese machines are no longer just there to make up the numbers.

"We would have signed up for a result like this before the race, but the goal remains to be consistently in the top 10 in every race. We're regularly taking points, we're losing fewer... The poor tire choice in the Sprint still weighed on me. Today, we're moving forward, this championship is important to me, I want to be consistent and improve every weekend like we did here."

Being more “relaxed” on the bike, a goal for Zarco

Another important point for the Cannes resident is being able to relax a little more on his bike, and thus keep his nerves flowing for the final laps, which are often fierce in the peloton: "Up front, they're not giving up, and even behind them, they're actually staying flat out! It's hard because you think you're in a good position, and you wonder when you'll have a gap of one or two seconds. Well, it never happens. I've tried to relax on the bike, but I see that we can still relax a little to keep this pace while expending less energy. That's my personal goal."

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