After a positive Shakedown test at Sepang last week, 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Johann Zarco has revealed more details about the size of Honda’s progress with its heavily-revised 2024 MotoGP bike.

The Frenchman, switching to LCR after four seasons at Ducℱati, was third quickest out of 13 riders at the Shakedown, just 0.2s from the KTM o𓄧f Pedro Acosta.

“Always you are happy when the lap time is coming,” Zarco said on the eve of the Off🌞icial Sepang test, which starts on Tuesday.  “I didn't expect it, so that's why it's an even better feeling than I could expect.

“But clearly already the changes the Honda did and what they brought in Valencia was quite interesting and this gave me very good hopes during t🅺he winter.

“Then 𝕴I got🎉 confirmation of this during the two days I did of the Shakedown.

“I'm happy because it seems a good time now to do this job with Honda and the way Honda brings the new things is helpi🅺ng a lot. That feels pretty good.”

The Frenchman, who fin🗹ally broke his MotoGP victory drought at Phillip Island last year, admitted he had been braced for a tougher introduction to the RC213V, which finished last in the 2023 constr🙈uctors' standings.

“I wanted to take this challenge kꦜnowing that, with the way I’ve grown up as a person, I can enjoy even in difficult times and be able to tak🐟e something positive during a weekend or analyse all the situation.

“But fortunately, although I'm ready♛ to do that, it seems that I can enjoy [without] having too many difficult times. So that's the most positive at the moment from the Valencia test and the Shakedown.”

Zarco added that the working relationsh🅺ip between LCR and Honda feels just as close as Pramac and Ducati.   

He also put a surprisi🍃ngly large number to the size of improvement Honda had made between last year’s tr🔥oubled machine and the initial Valencia 2024 prototype.

“At least 7 tenths! Which in Valencia is quite good,” Zarco smiled. “I did on🔥ly two runs on the old [2023] bike - but that's why we moved straight away to the new one.

“I have agai⛄n big admiration for what Marc [M꧑arquez] did [with the old bike] last year.”

Although LCR predecessor Alex Rins was Honda’s only race winner last year, Ma🐎rquez was again consistently the top RCV rider, including a Motegi podium, before jumping ship to Gresini Ducati.

Zarco confirmed that, like the factory Repsol Honda riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini, he now has one of the 2024 Valenci༒a prototypes at Sepang plus another newer bike, thought to hav❀e a different engine spec.

“I got two different bike specs [here], yes,” he said. “It’s good to have the extra [shakedown] time for back-to-back test🍃s… And we will always prefer whichever bike that is doing the [best] lap time!

“For me, the weak point I had on the Ducati was the way to brake or to sl♛ow down well the bike,” he explained. “Even if it could be a strong point of the bike, for me I could not really handle it well with my style.

“And on the Honda, at the🍌 moment, I can control well this area and that'♍s why I'm quite happy.”

The Off💟icial Sepang test takes place from February 6-8.