Johann Zarco will be delighted by ‘clear’ detail in his new LCR Honda contract amid 2025 ‘frustration’

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Honda have finally confirmed that Johann Zarco will remain with satellite team LCR in MotoGP after signing a new two-year deal.

The Frenchman will stay with Lucio Cecchinello’s outfit until 2027. While his contract is out of sync with most riders, Zarco will be on board with Honda’s project until at least the first season of the new regulations.

The 35-year-old provides a wealth of experience for the LCR team and will be a hugely important figure at Honda as they hope to build back to the front of the grid.

Zarco’s contract extension came minutes after Honda confirmed that Luca Marini will stay with the factory HRC team until 2026 alongside Joan Mir. It looks like the Japanese giants have now confirmed their rider line-up for next season, with Diogo Moreira set to sign for LCR and replace Somkiat Chantra.

Johann Zarco’s contract makes it ‘clear’ that he will receive factory treatment at Honda

Zarco was among a few competitors to have an expiring contract in 2025. Honda had been heavily active in the MotoGP rider market as they planned ambitious moves for 2026.

Honda plotted a swoop for Jorge Martin as he tried to get out of his Aprilia contract earlier in the year. The Japanese giants were preparing a substantial offer, but Dorna denied the move from happening, with Martin now staying at Aprilia until 2026.

In the background, Zarco was targeting a factory Honda seat. Sitting ninth in the standings, the Frenchman has been the manufacturer’s number one rider in 2025, securing a historic win at Le Mans and a second-place finish at Silverstone.

Amid the Martin rumours, Zarco was happy to stay at LCR provided that he received equal treatment to factory riders Mir and Marini. As per a report from Motorsport Espana, it has been made ‘clear’ in his new two-year extension.

Honda are ‘committed to providing him with the updates at the same time’ as Mir and Marini. Zarco will be delighted by this news, especially after his anger towards the manufacturer in recent races.

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

Johann Zarco has had ‘frustration’ towards Honda over not getting factory parts in 2025

Zarco has been Honda’s strongest rider in 2025, but results have slumped since his win at Le Mans and podium at Silverstone. Since the latter, he has not finished inside the top 10, retiring from four of the last seven races.

Meanwhile, Mir and Marini seem to have made improvements. While the former continues to struggle to stay on his bike, he scored a solid P6 at the Red Bull Ring, while the latter recorded his best result for Honda at Balaton Park with P5.

According to Zarco, these results are down to the fact that Honda have stopped giving him updates. He expressed his ‘frustration’ after Balaton Park, via MOW, over the situation, as he claimed that Mir and Marini were being allowed to catch up.

“Since I’ve been getting results for a long time, Honda has decided not to make too many changes to my bike, thinking that the material I already have will be enough.” he said.

“I have to make do with the existing material. For a few races, our bike has been different from that of the HRC riders, as they’ve added some new parts they can use.

“I don’t know exactly which ones, because I’m not involved in the technical details, but it’s clear that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to keep up with them.  We’re stagnating, they’re progressing. Seeing this creates frustration, nervousness, and all of this is reflected during the weekends.”

With Zarco’s contract confirming that he will receive equal treatment for the next two years, the 35-year-old should be put at ease. He has clearly proven to be Honda’s standout rider this year and deserves to lead their project, even if he is not wearing their official colours.