Top Honda rider Johann Zarco at his limit: “9th place is better than nothing!”

Johann Zarco had gone into Sunday’s MotoGP race on the back of some positive momentum. In the Qatar Sprint, the LCR Honda rider got off to a brilliant start from 7th on the grid following the race being red-flagged and was even able to keep up with the top three at the start. Finishing fifth, Zarco was the best-placed Honda rider, but he was already concerned that Sunday’s double distance would prove challenging.

Zarco repeats strong start – fierce battle with Ai Ogura

In the Grand Prix, the Frenchman started from sixth on the grid. Zarco got off to a good start and was in fifth place after the first lap, at times even in fourth. Then a fierce battle began with Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia), in which the two swapped positions almost at every corner. The others benefited from this: Pedro Acosta overtook both of them in one go, whilst Zarco dropped from 4th to 7th place within a single lap. Shortly afterwards, Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) and Jorge Martin (Aprilia) also overtook him.

Willkommen zum Rennen in Katar

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Jorge Martin

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Pedro Acosta

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Marco Bezzecchi

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Raúl Fernández

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Enea Bastianini

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Johann Zarco

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Iker Lecuona

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Pedro Acosta

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Marco Bezzecchi

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Marc Márquez

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Jorge Martin

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Fabio Di Giannantonio

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Fermin Aldeguer

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Marco Bezzecchi gewinnt das Rennen

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Marc Márquez und Raúl Fernández

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Sieger Marco Bezzecchi

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Marc Márquez, Marco Bezzecchi, Raúl Fernández

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Sieger Marco Bezzecchi

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Willkommen zum Rennen in Katar

© Gold & Goose

From then on, Zarco held 9th place until the end. He was right on the tail of Martin, his former Pramac team-mate, and Di Giannantonio. In the final laps, he launched another attack on ‘Diggia’, with 7th and 8th places within reach. But the Italian also stepped up his pace.

“The pace was good. I had more control than in the sprint,” said Zarco. In the opening laps, everyone thought they had more to give and therefore attacked him. “I was a bit annoyed because I’m ready to fight, but I can’t get the bike where I want it to be. I’m losing time at crucial points. That’s why the others can attack me and I can’t attack them.” In the end, he kept everything under control at the back of the field: “Ninth place is better than nothing. We’ve been on good form this weekend, which is positive for the team. But when I ride races like this, I feel there’s a limit I have to accept.”

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20.11.2026 - 09:55

Zarco closes the gap: 14th in the World Championship within reach

With 5th place in the Sprint and 9th in the Grand Prix, Zarco was once again the best Honda rider in Qatar. In the World Championship, the Frenchman remains in 17th place following his long injury lay-off. Because his team-mate Diogo Moreira retired and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) did not start in Qatar, the gap to both of them has narrowed to 15 and 16 points respectively. A 14th-place finish in the World Championship is a realistic possibility for Zarco if he has two strong race weekends.