Johann Zarco has been by far the most impressive Honda rider this season, and has led their mini MotoGP renaissance in 2025.
The Frenchman sits sixth in the MotoGP riders’ championship with 79 points, and a fabulous home victory at the French Grand Prix to boot.
Honda won’t have expected to be so far ahead in their turnaround this season, but the performance of their satellite rider has given them reason for encouragement.
While one side of the LCR garage has struggled, Zarco has been the perfect ingredient, bringing experience and consistency to a manufacturer who had been in the doldrums for some time.
The ‘terrified’ Somkiat Chantra could lose his seat for 2026, which would mean bringing in a new rider to work alongside their two-time race winner.
Zarco was criticised by Joan Mir in the factory Honda team, but that may have been as a result of him being threatened by his speed and presence. Maybe there’s a chance he steals his ride in the future.
Johann Zarco’s stance on Honda’s Jorge Martin interest shows how mature he is
With Honda pursuing Jorge Martin after his sudden availability, Zarco has fallen down the pecking order for a possible promotion to the factory team.
Zarco has already made a Honda sacrifice and is prepared to remain at LCR in the future, as long as he gets equal machinery to the factory riders.
Now, a report from Diario AS shows just how mature he is, being unfazed by the potential recruitment of a rival and the denial of a promotion.
“The Frenchman knows that the figure of Martín, the current champion, is very attractive for the golden wing brand, that in the official box only two can fit and that this season, he has not needed to be in that space to be the best RC213V [Honda rider] in the World Championship,” said the Spanish outlet.
There’s still a small chance that Martin could stay at Aprilia, so Zarco shouldn’t lose all hope. Luca Marini is still an option to remain there too, but is currently injured and cannot prove his credentials on track.
How much better has Johann Zarco been than the other Honda riders in 2025?
Honda are second in the constructors’ championship with 119 points, just 13 points ahead of KTM in third. It means that nearly two-thirds of the points have been scored by Zarco.
On the same bike, Chantra hasn’t been able to finish higher than 16th in eight races. His teammate has only finished lower than that twice, owing to mistakes, not his lack of speed.
The factory riders have been inconsistent and made their fair share of mistakes too, but Joan Mir did make a breakthrough at the Aragon Grand Prix recently.
Seventh was his highest finish since the 2023 Indian Grand Prix, and it’s a sign that he’s maybe getting back to his best.
Overall, none of them have come close to Zarco, who has been excellent value for both LCR and Honda in 2025.
