Johann Zarco

Career

Early career

Born in Cannes, Zarco progressed up the motorcycling ladder and moved into minimoto championships in 2004, mainly based in Italy. In 2005, Zarco finished as runner-up in the Senior Mini European Championship and in 2006, he was runner-up in the European Open Championship. He also competed in the Italian 125cc championship, where he finished in twelfth place. Zarco took part in the Red Bull Rookies Cup in 2007, and won the championship at Estoril, after winning three races. He added a fourth win at the final race in Valencia. These performances enabled Zarco to become part of the Red Bull MotoGP Academy scheme along with Cameron Beaubier, Jonas Folger and Danny Kent. This reduced his racing in 2008, making a sporadic appearance in the Italian championship with Team Gabrielli.

125cc World Championship

WTR San Marino (2009–2010)

Zarco made his Grand Prix début with the WTR San Marino Team, in the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix. He finished the race in the points in 15th, although the rain-shortened race meant that Zarco gained just half a point. He took seven further points-scoring finishes, as he finished 20th in the championship. Zarco's best result of the season was a sixth-place finish at Mugello.

Zarco remained with WTR for the season. Zarco started the season with a consistent run of points-scoring finishes, finishing each of the first eight races in the points. At the Czech Grand Prix, Zarco recorded the first fastest lap of his career, having pitted for slick tyres as the track's conditions became better for them to be run. He ultimately finished eleventh in the championship, despite retiring from the final three races.

Ajo Motorsport (2011)

For he signed with Ajo Motorsport. At the second race, the Spanish Grand Prix, he gained his first podium finish by finishing third.

Moto2 World Championship

JiR Team (2012)

Zarco moved up to the Moto2 class with the JiR team, aboard Motobi bikes in . He finished the season 10th in the standings with 95 points and was easily the highest placed rookie that year.

Ioda Project Racing Team (2013)

In 2013, he moved to the Ioda Project Racing Team aboard a Suter, he improved on his rookie season by finishing on the podium twice and ended 9th on the standings with 141 points.

Caterham Moto Racing Team (2014)

For 2014, he joined the new Caterham Moto Racing team. He impressed on what many considered to be an inferior bike compared to the mainly dominant Kalex bikes. He managed to earn 4 podium finishes, as well as 1 pole position, earning him 6th in the standings with 146 points.

Ajo Motorsport (2015–2016)

In 2015, Zarco moved to the debuting Ajo Motorsport team, who he raced with in the 125cc class. Zarco dominated the field and won his first Moto2 title, with 8 wins, 14 podiums, 7 poles and a record points haul of 352.

He remained with the team for 2016 and successfully defended his Moto2 title, becoming the first rider in the Moto2 era to win 2 intermediate titles, with 7 wins, 10 podiums, 7 poles and 276 points. Zarco became a popular figure with the fans with his spectacular backflip celebrations when he won a race. During the 2016 season, Zarco got his first taste of MotoGP machinery, testing the Suzuki GSX-RR with Suzuki Ecstar in a private test at track in Ruyo, Japan.

MotoGP World Championship

Team Suzuki Ecstar (testing 2016)

Zarco signed a pre-contract with Team Suzuki Ecstar in 2016 before the recruitment for 2017 was carried out. Zarco tested with Suzuki in a private test at the Suzuka Circuit, Japan. Ultimately, Alex Rins was chosen to replace the departing Aleix Espargaro, while Andrea Iannone was chosen to replace the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP-bound Maverick Vinales.

Monster Yamaha Tech3 (2017–2018)

2017

For 2017, he moved up to the premier class with the Tech3 Yamaha team. On his MotoGP debut at Qatar, Zarco shocked the grid by taking the lead on the first lap and building a 2-second lead, until he crashed out at turn 2 on lap 6. He scored his first MotoGP podium, a 2nd place, at Le Mans. He got his first pole position at Assen. In the race he touched with Rossi and dropped to 4th, and eventually finished in 14th place. Zarco again started from pole at the Japanese Grand Prix, but ultimately finished the race in 8th place. He achieved podium finishes in Sepang (Malaysia) and Valencia (Spain) where he finished in 3rd and 2nd respectively. He received the Rookie of the Year Award for 2017 and finished the season in 6th, the highest placed independent rider.

2018

In 2018, he started the season with a pole position in Qatar, before dropping to finish 8th. He finished 2nd in the Argentinian and Spanish Grands Prix, and achieved another pole position at his home French Grand Prix before crashing out of the race. In Malaysia he repeated his 3rd place podium finish from the previous year, and again finished 6th in the rider's championship standings.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (early 2019)

In early 2018 it was announced that Zarco would ride for the factory KTM team on a two-year contract from 2019. Following a difficult start to 2019 season where he struggled, managing barely to finish within the points-scoring positions, Zarco and KTM made the shock announcement at their home Austrian Grand Prix that they had reached a mutual agreement to end Zarco's contract prematurely at the end of the season. Despite initial intentions to complete the season with Zarco, KTM elected to release him unconditionally two races later after the Misano Grand Prix and replace him with test rider Mika Kallio for the remainder of the season, citing "lost hope" in the situation with Zarco's "negative attitude" before his impending departure.

LCR Honda (late 2019)

Zarco was offered a Honda for the last three races of the 2019 season due to regular rider Takaaki Nakagami electing to have surgery with an expected long recuperation period. He finished the first event in 13th place, and was knocked off by Joan Mir nearing the end of the second event when in 8th place. Zarco fell during his third race on the Honda when in 10th position at Valencia, Spain, being hit when walking away by a following machine, without serious injury.

Avintia Esponsorama Racing (2020)

For the 2020 season, the Frenchman signed a one-year deal through Ducati to ride for Esponsorama Racing. During the Czech Grand Prix in Brno, Zarco took Esponsorama's first ever pole position, followed up with a podium finish in 3rd a day later. Consistently finishing within the points, Zarco ended the season in 13th position of the riders' standings.

Pramac Racing (2021–2023)

2021

Zarco signed a deal with Pramac Racing in September 2020 for the 2021 season. Zarco had a strong season in 2021 including career highs in podiums and the highest points total of any of his seasons in MotoGP. He ultimately finished fifth in the championship.

2022

Zarco remained with Pramac Racing for 2022. Zarco claimed four podiums, and ended eighth in the standings.

2023

Pramac Racing retained Zarco for a third successive year in 2023. In Australia, after 120 races, Zarco won his first race in MotoGP, overtaking teammate Jorge Martin on the final lap

Return to LCR Honda (2024–)

On 21 August 2023, Zarco announced that he would leave Pramac Racing after spending three seasons with the team. He moved to LCR Honda for the 2024 season, replacing Yamaha-bound Álex Rins. The likely reason for the move was Ducati only intending to give Zarco a one-year contract before moving him to the Superbike World Championship in 2025, whereas LCR Honda were offering a two-year deal. LCR Honda officially confirmed the next day that Zarco would be joining the team in 2024. On the opening round of the season in the 2024 Qatar motorcycle Grand Prix, he finished 12th in the main race. He did the same result at his home race on the 2024 French motorcycle Grand Prix on the layer of the Bugatti Circuit. With regular points finishes throughout the season, he finished the season in 17th position, ahead of teammate Takaaki Nakagami and both factory riders, as the top Honda rider of the season.

As Nakagami took on a test role at Honda, Zarco's teammate for 2025 was confirmed to be Somkiat Chantra. At the 2025 French GP, Zarco became the first French rider in 71 years to win on home soil, and the first non-Ducati rider to win a feature race for 22 races, since Maverick Viñales at the 2024 Americas Grand Prix and the first Honda rider to win since Álex Rins at the 2023 Americas Grand Prix. In the following race at Silverstone, Zarco finished second, marking the first back-to-back podium for any Honda rider since Marc Márquez in 2021. His strong start also saw him as the leading Honda rider during the early parts of the 2025 season .

In September 2025, Zarco extended his contract with LCR Honda for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

Suzuka 8 Hours

In 2025, Honda's factory team line-up for the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in August will consist of only two riders, local rider Takumi Takahashi and French LCR-Honda MotoGP rider Johann Zarco, the team announced on social media, citing "procedural reasons." This is because Xavi Vierge, who was planned to replace the injured Iker Lecuona, was denied a visa.

Career statistics

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

By class

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Suzuka 8 Hours results

Records

As of 9 April 2025, Johann Zarco holds the following records:

Moto2

• Most Moto2 riders' championships: 2 (2015, 2016)
• Most podiums in a season: 14 (2015, shared with Marc Márquez, Esteve Rabat and Pedro Acosta)
• Most consecutive podiums: 12
• Most points scored in a single season: 352 (2015)
• Biggest title-winning margin by points: 118 (2015)

References

References

1. "Johann Sylvain Pierre Zarco, Marseille, France".
2. (9 October 2015). "Triumphant Johann Zarco lifts Moto2 world title". [[Dorna Sports]].
3. (9 October 2015). "Pedrosa gagne une course, Rossi des points et Zarco un titre". SARL Libération.
4. (22 June 2007). "Portrait – Johann Zarco". [[Red Bull]].
5. (15 September 2007). "Zarco takes win and championship!". [[Red Bull]].
6. (19 December 2007). "Red Bull MotoGP Academy 2008 line-up announced". [[Dorna Sports]].
7. (12 April 2009). "Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar: 125cc Race Classification". [[Dorna Sports]].
8. (22 February 2010). "WTR San Marino Team presents its 2010 line-up". [[Dorna Sports]].
9. Rowles, Aaron. (2016-06-16). "Zarco gets first taste of MotoGP machine with Suzuki".
10. (16 December 2019). "Rarely do you know, Johann Zarco has also ridden a Suzuki MotoGP motorbike".
11. (12 November 2007). "Goodbye 2017: FIM Awards Ceremony closes the MotoGP season". [[Dorna Sports]].
12. (2018-05-18). "Johann Zarco signs KTM MotoGP deal for 2019".
13. McLaren, Peter. (2019-08-12). "Johann Zarco to leave KTM!".
14. (2019-09-21). "KTM 'lost hope' with Zarco's negativity over its MotoGP bike".
15. (2019-10-16). "Zarco to replace Nakagami for final three rounds of 2019". [[Dorna Sports]].
16. [https://www.bikesportnews.com/news/news-detail/motogp-sepang-mir-deems-zarco-crash-penalty-unfair Mir deems Zarco crash penalty ‘unfair’] {{Webarchive. link. (5 November 2019 bikesportnews.com, 4 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019)
17. [https://www.visordown.com/news/racing/motogp/joan-mir-penalised-johann-zarco-collision-%E2%80%98because-i-am-rookie%E2%80%99 Joan Mir penalised for Johann Zarco collision 'because I am a rookie'] {{Webarchive. link. (19 April 2021 visordown.com, 4 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019)
18. (2019-11-18). "Zarco thought he'd broken ankle when hit by Lecuona's crashing bike".
19. "Johann Zarco, new rider of the Reale Avintia Racing Team".
20. Duncan, Lewis. (2019-12-09). "Johann Zarco's 2020 move to Avintia MotoGP finally announced".
21. [https://www.motorsport.com/motogp/news/bagnaia-ducati-zarco-pramac-2021/4884377/ Bagnaia joins works Ducati team, Zarco makes Pramac switch] {{Webarchive. link. (3 March 2021 motorsport.com, 30 September 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2021)
22. (3 June 2021). "Johann Zarco to stay on with Pramac for 2022".
23. (26 August 2022). "Martin and Zarco confirmed as Prima Pramac riders for 2023".
24. "120 races later: Zarco's perseverance pays off".
25. (20 August 2023). "Prima Pramac confirm Zarco's exit at the end of 2023".
26. Duncan, Lewis. (20 August 2023). "Zarco to leave Pramac, confirms Honda MotoGP move with LCR for 2024".
27. (21 August 2023). "Zarco explains swapping MotoGP's best bike for its worst".
28. White, Megan. (22 August 2023). "Zarco joins LCR Honda for 2024 MotoGP season after Ducati departure".
29. "First main race of the season".
30. "French GP main race".
31. (1 September 2025). "Johann Zarco to continue with CASTROL Honda LCR for 2026 and 2027".
32. (31 July 2025). "Xavi Vierge out of Suzuka 8 Hours for “procedural reasons”".