Neil Hodgson condemns 21-podium rider for ‘not a wise choice’ after what he saw at Americas Grand Prix

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Neil Hodgson condemned one MotoGP rider for making a costly decision during the Sprint Race at the 2025 Grand Prix of the Americas as it did not pay off on Saturday.

Marc Marquez made history in qualifying by becoming the first MotoGP rider to secure pole position eight times at any single circuit. The Ducati star would also convert the P1 start into the win in the Sprint, after surviving early battles with Francesco Bagnaia and Alex Marquez.

An eighth Americas GP win could also be on the cards for Marquez on Sunday as the King of COTA adds to his legend in Austin, Texas. But while the 32-year-old looks to further his hope for a seventh MotoGP title, one rival rider will be hoping to bounce back from a big mistake.

Neil Hodgson questions LCR Honda rider Johann Zarco’s Americas GP Sprint tyre choice

Hodgson could only question LCR Honda and rider Johann Zarco after going alone by fitting a medium rear Michelin tyre for the Sprint Race at the Americas GP. The 34-year-old was the only pilot to pick a medium rear when every other rider elected to fit the soft on their bikes.

Taking the harder compound rear tyre would have handed Zarco a chance to register further data for the feature race on Sunday after qualifying in just P15 at the Americas GP. But it did not offer any benefit in the Sprint, with the Frenchman falling to 16th place over the 10 laps.

Zarco has been in fine form for LCR this season, with P7 in the Thailand Grand Prix plus P4 in the Termas Sprint and P6 in the Argentina GP. But Hodgson believes his tyre choice for the Americas GP Sprint was a mistake with works Honda star Luca Marini able to bag a P8 finish.

Hodgson told TNT Sports 2 (29/3, 20:14): “The fact that Zarco is in 16th, the man sitting fifth in this championship after just two rounds, you’d say that was probably not a wise choice.”

Johann Zarco can ill afford to let Luca Marini steal the show with Honda mulling contracts

Such has been his form this term that Kevin Schwantz has praised Zarco for leading Honda after feeling ‘nobody’ paid attention to him after joining LCR last season. But it was Marini’s turn to lead Honda in the Sprint at COTA after a superb qualifying with the 27-year-old in P7.

Zarco can ill afford to let Marini take the spotlight off the 21 MotoGP podium pilot too often given both will currently see their factory Honda contracts lapse this season. Honda will like what they saw from Marini on Saturday after scoring the Italian’s first Sprint points for them.

Marini never managed to finish a Sprint Race in the points after replacing Marquez at Honda last year. He also failed to at Buriram and Termas to start 2025 but did take points in the two Grands Prix with P12 and P10 – also setting Marini’s best Grand Prix result at Honda to date.