Johann Zarco (8th): “The feeling isn’t perfect, but the speed is there”

In Italy, too, Honda LCR rider Johann surprised everyone with sensational lap times. As early as FP1, the 36-year-old had flown the Honda flag high in fifth place – Zarco was less than 0.2 seconds off Marc Marquez – and in the crucial qualifying session, the paddock’s oldest rider was consistently among the top 10. At times, the number 5 Honda held third place, but in the final push he slipped back to P8. After a thrilling hour, Zarco was 0.5 seconds behind benchmark rider Marco Bezzecchi and 0.014 seconds behind team-mate Luca Marini, who finished the session in seventh place. And yet – Zarco had never been faster at Misano before.

The lap times astonished the Frenchman, who had suffered a heavy crash at Catalunya: “For me, these times set a new benchmark. It’s amazing. I also think we’ll go under 1:30 in qualifying. Whether I manage it myself will also depend on how the traffic flows on the track – but if everything goes to plan, I’m confident I can find another three to four tenths. I lost time in the final sector. If I can manage that little bit extra, then a starting position on row 2 might be possible.”

However, Zarco immediately added during a debrief: “Even though the pace here is very good, the feel isn’t. I’m a bit surprised that we’ve managed to maintain the pace we had in Aragon here as well, and when I found so much more time in qualifying at Misano, that was another pleasant surprise.”

And what’s bothering the veteran rider? “There’s movement and vibration in the bike that prevent me from feeling completely confident. That means I don’t yet have full confidence at the crucial points. There’s a lot of movement in the bike during the fast sections, but what bothers me even more is how it behaves under braking.”

Zarco’s conclusion was nevertheless positive: “But I’m quite happy with how it’s gone.” And so Zarco, whose LCR team is celebrating its 30th anniversary at Misano, came full circle: “My next goal is now to settle into this level better. I need to get used to the new benchmark,” said Zarco with a grin that suggested he wasn’t entirely dissatisfied.

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12.09.2026 - 08:35