Last weekend, all Honda drivers gathered in Japan to honor their achievements in various competition programs. In MotoGP, the 2024 season was difficult, but each of the brand's representatives on track remains confident for 2025. Johann Zarco is no exception, and assures on this subject that Honda could benefit from numerous changes of drivers that other brands will experience. .
The twenty rounds of the 2024 season are now far behind the drivers. The latter therefore have the opportunity to come back to the latter cold to take stock of it. At Honda, they were all unanimous in saying that the campaign which ended did not live up to their expectations.
The work put in by the two teams, and the direction they took at the end of the year, is reassuring, however. Best Honda driver in 2024, Johann Zarco shares the opinion of his peers and even claims to have found a great source of motivation in his latest results.
“There were new things for me this year,
confides the Frenchman in Tokyo. I discovered a new approach to complete the season, and it wasn't easy. At the start of the season we couldn't keep up with our rivals, they were too fast. We couldn't follow. But at the end of the year, we were fighting with a group that was improving. So we ended the season on a positive note, which gives motivation for next year. »
The transfer market was very turbulent in 2024, and will completely change the starting grid next year. Between the association between Pramac and Yamaha, the weakening of Ducati's workforce and the numerous changes of seats at KTM and Aprilia, Honda is the only factory to have chosen a certain stability.
Somkiat Chantra will join the ranks of the brand within its satellite team, LCR Honda. Otherwise, the other three drivers in place in 2024 will remain there. Data that could work in the manufacturer's favor according to the Habs.
“I think we will be lucky next year, because there are a lot of changes in the riders in MotoGP. Riders who change bikes, but also new riders,
continues the Cannes resident. So I think Honda motorcycles will move up the hierarchy. The rules will also help Japanese factories get back into the game. Sometimes we don't get the results, but we do everything we can to do the best job possible. We finished better than we started, and I think that's a good thing to keep in mind. »
Before returning to the MotoGP circuits, Johann Zarco recalls the importance of the summer break, which allows the rider to recharge his batteries. “ Winter is getting shorter and shorter every year. I've seen this year that when I rest the most, it's when I can have a few days alone, in silence. All year long, you work with lots of people, there are also people who supervise you, and who support you. But when you're completely alone, it's the calmest time, and my mind can rest. Maybe it helps me put my thoughts in order. so silence helps me to rest. I've already had a few days, and I'll have a few more for Christmas and New Year. »
