Johann Zarco shares what’s ‘very interesting’ looking at Marc Marquez’s old Honda data, ‘I can’t understand how’

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Johann Zarco heads home for this weekend’s French Grand Prix as the top Honda rider in the 2025 standings, yet he cannot understand Marc Marquez’s data on the RC213V.

It has now been 17 months since Marquez last rode for Honda after he ditched the Japanese crew at the end of 2023. It also proved to be a shrewd decision by the 32-year-old as Honda had more than just a season to forget in 2024, while Marquez revived his career with Gresini.

Ducati even promoted Marquez into their factory line-up ahead of eventual 2024 champion Jorge Martin before the Spaniard won his first Grand Prix in 1,043 days. Now, he is also back in the title battle for the first time since 2019 with Marquez a point behind his brother, Alex.

Zarco is seventh in the riders’ standings for LCR and is 97 points behind Alex Marquez after the first five rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season. Yet the 34-year-old is the top Honda on 43 points, ahead of factory riders Luca Marini down in 12th on 32 and Joan Mir in 18th with 11.

Johann Zarco ‘can’t understand’ how Marc Marquez was so fast in left-hand corners on the Honda RC213V

Additionally, Zarco is emerging as a likely candidate to replace Marini at Honda in 2026 with the Frenchman’s results and commitment flattering the HRC hierarchy. No Honda riders can better Zarco’s form with P4 in the Qatar Grand Prix, plus P6 in Argentina and P7 in Thailand.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend

Yet Zarco still cannot understand how Marquez was so fast through left-hand corners on the RC213V amidst the six-time premier class champion’s era of dominance with Honda. He has studied Marquez’s data from the Spaniard’s time at Honda and sees how his differs from it.

Zarco said, via quotes by Motosan: “Marc is always incredible as a rider and trying to do the same thing as him is always difficult because he’s very extreme as a rider.

“We know he has incredible speed in left-hand corners – he’s the fastest on the left. It’s very interesting, but I can study it. I can see the difference, but sometimes I can’t understand how he did it.”

Francesco Bagnaia has a pact with Marc Marquez to understand his strength in left turns

Left-hand corners have always been Marquez’s trademark advantage over almost every rider he has faced since debuting in MotoGP with the factory Honda team at the 2013 Qatar GP. It sets him apart from even the best, with few able to imitate the Cervera native’s bike control.

Even Francesco Bagnaia struck a pact with Marquez to understand his left-hand corner skills upon becoming teammates in the factory Ducati garage this term. At the same time, despite his six MotoGP titles, Marquez is also learning from Bagnaia over improving in right-handers.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Johann Zarco from career stats to net worth

LCR rider Zarco only has Marquez’s old data at Honda to use to try and understand how the Spaniard got so strong at carrying speed through left-hand corners on the RC213V. He spent 11 seasons on the bike and scored 59 Grand Prix wins plus 64 pole positions on the RC213V.

Alex Rins is also the only rider since Marquez to win a race on the RC213V after handing LCR glory at the 2023 Grand Prix of the Americas. Honda then hit freefall to endure more than a year to forget in 2024 as LCR and Honda finished at the bottom of the teams’ championship.