Johann Zarco explains the gap between Ducati and the rest of the field: "They've been fine-tuning it for 3 years."

The start of the pre-season MotoGP This was encouraging for the Honda camp, which was able to confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt the excellent work done on the RC213V over the winter. The Japanese manufacturer, which will move to Tier C dealerships at the start of the season, seems to be heading in the right direction. Nevertheless, Ducati should remain the undisputed benchmark on the grid.

After the first test sessions of the season, Johann Zarco, the leading figure of Lucio Cecchinello's Honda LCR team, took away some positives, while also making a clear observation: "It's going to be difficult to catch those Ducatis.", admitted the Frenchman on the TalkbackGP program, interviewed by French journalist Michel Turco in Malaysia.

Honda to create a surprise?

Trying to be realistic, the Cannes native doesn't see Honda fighting for victory in 2026. However, he doesn't rule out the possibility of opportunities like the ones he seized last year becoming more frequent thanks to the progress made. As a reminder, Johann Zarco followed up a victory at the French Grand Prix with a second-place finish at Silverstone (Great Britain), taking advantage of unstable weather conditions. He repeated the feat by qualifying on the front row in Germany a few weeks later.

"The bike is more competitive. That will create opportunities on many circuits because consistent conditions aren't present everywhere. So, like I was able to do last year with..." Le Mans And at Silverstone, there will be opportunities that can lead to enormous joy.”He says.

With Aprilia also on an upward trajectory, Honda can still hope to be the third force on the grid this year. The RS-GP itself still lags behind the Ducati, and Johann Zarco – who himself rode for the Italian manufacturer between 2020 and 2023 – is trying to analyze the reasons why Borgo Panigale remains out of reach in MotoGP. This is despite the fact that the Desmosedici GP seems to have reached the limits of its development some time ago. and that Bologna's Tier A manufacturer status in the dealershipslimits its room for maneuver.

Ducati's advantage

"I believe that even if their bike, the Ducati, isn't changing a lot, the base is actually good. When that's the case, you can achieve so much more.""That's what number 5 points out. Indeed, while Honda was working on every aspect of its bike during pre-season testing at Sepang, Ducati was focusing on key areas. At Sepang, the factory notably had the luxury of working on optimizing its ride height control system." "And that's what's difficult sometimes at Honda. Because we're still developing, we don't settle on something and then go and find the very essence of what we have."Zarco insists.

He continues: “We’re always kind of searching, testing new things, and the time it takes to get used to them is time we don’t use for fine-tuning. I think Ducati has been fine-tuning for three years now. That’s where the gap is created, especially when the riders are good. They repeat the same formula for years with the same team, with the same bike. In short, everything is good.”.

As the start of the 2026 season approaches, Johann Zarco's comments suggest caution regarding expectations for Honda. The engine freeze for the championship should, however, allow the team to focus on other key aspects of its bike. While regular podium finishes, like those of Joan Mir in Japan and Malaysia last year, are not out of the question, any hope of another victory will depend on misfortune for the Italian manufacturers.

ALSO READ > LCR Honda unveils Johann Zarco's livery for 2026