Johann Zarco extends contract with LCR Honda
Veteran MotoGP rider Johann Zarco has announced he’ll remain with Castrol Honda LCR in the premier class for the next two years. After a very brief stint with Lucio Cecchinello’s Monaco-based team back in 2019, Zarco joined LCR full-time in 2024 on a two-year deal. This new two-year deal will see the 35-year-old remain with LCR until the end of the 2027 MotoGP season.
While Zarco’s new contract is with HRC (as his previous one was), Honda feels that continuing to combine the Frenchman with LCR, instead of the factory team, represents “a highly competitive sporting and technical package, combining extensive experience with consistently strong performance.”
Although LCR is a satellite team, Zarco will have access to the same technical specifications as the official factory team, with updates and developments for the RC213V provided in parallel. Additionally, Zarco will continue to represent Honda as an official rider in the Suzuka 8 Hours, where he was part of the winning Team HRC squad in 2024 and 2025.
“I’m very pleased to confirm that I will stay with LCR for the next two years,” Zarco said in a statement ahead of the Catalan GP in September. “This is important, because we have big goals to achieve and great opportunities looking ahead to 2027.
“When I signed with Honda at the end of 2023, I didn’t expect to find that second wind, which gave me the energy to secure another two-year contract with them. We already achieved one victory with Lucio and the team, and it would be fantastic to experience that again, so we are determined to keep pushing for strong results.
“Over the past two years, Honda has provided LCR with great support, and we believe we can continue growing and developing the bike through our hard work. I’d like to thank HRC, LCR and everybody supporting us.”
Following back-to-back Moto2 World Championships in 2015 and 2016, Zarco made his MotoGP debut with Tech3 Yamaha in 2017, achieving three podiums and multiple top ten finishes in his first year. It was much the same in 2018, but the results dried up when the Frenchman switched to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2019. That partnership ended early, with Zarco departing KTM to join LCR Honda for the final three races of that season.
A move to the Avintia Esponsorama Racing team in 2020 introduced Zarco to Ducati’s Desmosedici GP, which he continued to ride for Pramac Racing in 2021, 2022 and 2023. It was in 2023 when Zarco achieved his first MotoGP win – in his 120th start – at the Australian GP.
Reunited with LCR Honda in 2024, Zarco’s best result that year was eighth, but this year, he secured his second career MotoGP win – at the French GP – with a podium at the British GP that followed, plus several top ten finishes at time of writing.
