The 2024 season was particularly trying for Johann Zarco, who left the comfort of the Ducati to join Lucio Cecchinello’s LCR Honda team. The difficulties encountered by the French rider and the team throughout the year highlighted the challenges of developing a Motorcycle and adapting to new equipment.
The 2024 season was a real challenge for
Johann Zarcovictim of the most significant rebranding of the year. After leaving the powerful
Ducati of Pramache found himself on the handlebars of the Honda LCRa project in difficulty. If his public statements remained measured, the reality in the box was very different.
Lucio Cecchinelloleader of the LCR team, recently lifted the veil behind the scenes of this complicated season. “ At first it was hard“, he admitted in an interview with Crash.net. “ In the media he always tried to stay positive, but inside the box there were sometimes tensions. »
This frustration is understandable: the motorcycle
Zarco just wasn’t competitive. “ The rider was fed up because we couldn’t offer him a better bike. We were in last place in the standings, it was hard“, acknowledged Cecchinello.
Lucio Cecchinello: « Honda did an incredible job. At the end of the season, we were closer to the top 10 »
However, progress has been made thanks to the joint efforts of Honda and the team
LCR. « Honda did an incredible job. At the end of the season, we were closer to the top 10. » A notable fact illustrates this progress: on
20 Grands Prix of the season, the LCR satellite team outperformed the official team at 16
reprises.
Despite this, Zarco finished 17th overall, but as the best driver Hondain front of his three official teammates.
With a view to 2025, the arrival ofAleix Espargaró as a test pilot could give hope to the project
Honda. « He kept pushing until the last race, which is remarkable“, underlined
Cecchinello.
With fighting spirit intact and experienced reinforcements,
Honda hopes to turn things around and regain competitiveness in MotoGP.
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