With little improvement in recent results, Zarco has gone back to a previous-specification Honda
Johann Zarco has discarded some new parts on his Honda MotoGP bike during the Australian Grand Prix sprint as he continues to struggle to regain form in the second half of the 2025 season.
The Frenchman had been Honda’s top performer ever since joining the Sakura-based manufacturer in 2024 after a two-year stint at Pramac Ducati, with a victory in the rain-hit French GP in May being the highlight of his tenure.
However, his status at Honda has shifted after factory riders Luca Marini and Joan Mir received an upgraded bike after the summer break and immediately displayed a sharp improvement in performance.
Zarco received the same upgrades in recent races, but struggled to adapt to them - managing just one top-10 finish in the last three rounds.
On Saturday, the 35-year-old took a radical decision to abandon the changes and revert to his older motorcycle, albeit with some additions, in an effort to return to the sharp end of the grid.
"We wanted to try something to get some answers on the bike, because unfortunately, since Friday, we haven't been able to work with stability," he explained to Canal+.
"We're trying little things, it's really a detail in the riding. We're trying to find something else, because we're still doing a lot of tests to get feedback, to get information on what's happened since we got the new engine, the new swingarm, etc.
"Then we were able to understand that for the moment, the new engine, the new swingarm, all together, with my own settings, takes away my feeling. It gives me less confidence, I go slower and I fall. So we stay on the old one.
"It's not an old bike. Let's say we have the old engine, but with a new chassis. And we also put back the normal swingarm, in aluminium, to make the bike a little more malleable and at least work on my confidence. And we see that it's already better, there's the possibility of doing good things."
Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda
Having made the changes late into the weekend, Zarco could only finish 12th in the sprint, four places behind the top Honda of Luca Marini.
Zarco believes the lack of practice running on his old bike could compromise his performance for the rest of the weekend.
"So, we're only trying to adjust the bike now. But it's too late, it's Saturday afternoon," he lamented. "We should have started making these adjustments on Friday.
"Unfortunately, with all this confusion that's been going on since the end of the summer, it's made us lose time. We've put a few obstacles in our own way. Well, we didn't put them in ourselves, but it's a bit of a hindrance.
"So, the thought right now is just ‘damn, I can't do any better’. But I don't have too many doubts, because you can see that it's a track I like and there are some good things. But in the race it wasn't bad, but not enough."
Photos from Australian GP - Qualifying & Sprint
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fabio Di Giannantonio, VR46 Racing Team
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fermin Aldeguer, Gresini Racing, Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
William West - AFP - Getty Images
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Pol Espargaro, KTM Tech 3
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Franco Morbidelli, VR46 Racing Team
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Jack Miller, Pramac Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing, Jack Miller, Pramac Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing, Jack Miller, Pramac Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing, Jack Miller, Pramac Racing, Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Jack Miller, Pramac Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Santi Hernandez, Honda HRC
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Enea Bastianini, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Alex Rins, Yamaha Factory Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images
Pedro Acosta, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Luca Marini, Honda HRC
Robert Cianflone / Getty Images
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Martin Keep / AFP via Getty Images
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Robert Cianflone / Getty Images
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Robert Cianflone / Getty Images
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
William West - AFP - Getty Images
Read Also:
Francesco Bagnaia's puzzle continues as shaking Ducati leaves him baffled in Australia
Marco Bezzecchi was “quite scared” after seagull strike in Australian GP sprint
MotoGP Australian GP: Marco Bezzecchi takes dominant sprint win as Ducati’s streak ends
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Category: General Sports
