Johann Zarco has been backed for a factory Honda ride - but other factoꦚrs have been ti🦩pped to come into play.

Zarco was Honda’s best rider last year from their LCR satellite team, and has continued his overacꦕhieving🗹 form in 2025.

He currently sits sixth in the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:MotoGP standings after three rounds, having sꦜtarted the campaign with a pair of top-10 grand prix finishes.

Honda’s eye-catching progressio♒n this season has caused speculation over how coveted their factory seat might be in 2026.

Joan Mir is contracted, but teammate Luca Marini’s deal expires at the end of thisꦆ year.

Zarco is an obvious ca꧅ndidate t𓄧o be promoted, while KTM’s Pedro Acosta and WSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu have also been linked.

Johann Zarco 'deserves' Honda MotoGP promotion

TNT Sports’ Sylvain Guintoli said about Zarco: “He deserves i🌜t. But it becomes political.

“In LCR he get♌s the same treatment. He gets the same bike, and he’s got a Honda contract.

“So, for him, it’s more a question of prestige. It won’t change much in terms of the techniꦬcal side.

“Honda might w🌱ant to reserve that status for somꦏebody else, to attract an Acosta or a Toprak.

“Zarco is happy and performing at LCR.

“If you’re Lucio Cechinello and you’ve got your sponsors, and Zarco is on the bike, you don’t want to let🦄 him go.”

Suddenly, the factory Honda opportunity in 2026 is desirable if t🎃he manufacturer’s improvement continues.

“They have turned things around,” Guintoli said.

“It’s gone from the worst package which nobody wanted to touch - Ai Ogura, an up-and-coming Japanese rider, didn’t want to go on the bike because he didn’t 🐽know if it would be competitive.

“It’s really impressive what theyꦚ have done. Unbelౠievable.”

LCR boss Cecchinello admitted “Honda will the final word” over h꧋is team’s 2026 rider line-up.

He also stressed that Zarco would need to change garages, crew chiefs and team which wo𝕴uld be a difficult challenge.

Cecchinello wants tജo keep Zarco, who is now the oldest rider in MotoGP at 34.