Honda beat the odds and managed to prevent Ducati from breaking their 27-year consecutive wins record with a heroic victory at the French Grand Prix.
Johann Zarco helped Honda to their first win since 2023 by nearly 20 seconds over championship leader Marc Marquez.
As a result, the Japanese manufacturer have moved up to second in the MotoGP constructors’ standings after six races.
Zarco’s victory pushes him further into the limelight and reminds Honda that with Luca Marini’s expiring contract, they may want to promote from within for 2026.
After a promising start to the campaign, Zarco has been linked with Honda for 2026, but there are other options on the table, such as Toprak Razgatlioglu and Pedro Acosta.
Marini has been told to take ‘more risks’ if he wants to stand any chance of remaining on the grid for next year, but he has fallen short of expectations so far. He’s just 13th in the championship.
READ MORE: Luca Marini should be worried by what Honda are now giving Johann Zarco behind the scenes
Luca Marini thinks he ‘could have won’ the French Grand Prix without Honda ‘mistake’
Just 12 riders finished on the lead lap at Le Mans, and 11th of those was Marini, who failed to impress once again.
He was riding at the sharp end of the field after the start of the race, and was in a good position to succeed if he remained level-headed.
Instead, he made a critical mistake which robbed him of the chance to compete for victory. He told GPOne that it was a race he felt he could have won.
“I could have won, I just had to believe in the decision that was made earlier. I had a strong start, I was up there at the front and everyone in that group had slicks and they were fast.
“The track surface was dry and I told myself it would be impossible to complete 26 laps on wet tyres even in the event of rain. With the long pit lane, you lose a lot of time and the indecision cost me a lot.
“I made a mistake because the pace was good, as demonstrated by Johann, who came first despite being last after three corners.”
What might Honda do with Luca Marini in 2026 if they replace him?
If Honda opts to sign someone else to fill their factory seat for 2026, Marini will be left without a ride and could be off the grid for the first time since 2020.
Honda could demote Marini to LCR if they truly believe in his talents. He’s a lot faster than their current second rider Somkiat Chantra, regardless.
By keeping him on their books, he would be able to continue to ride their bike and offer them feedback on development in the future.
They also have the upside of being able to promote Marini again in the future, should he hit a purple-patch of form.
After all, he’s only 27 years of age and has plenty of laps left in him before he has to consider retirement from the premier class.
