Johann Zarco is coming back! LCR confirms the Frenchman’s start in Aragon

It’s not just Castrol Honda LCR that can breathe a sigh of relief. Lucio Cecchinello’s customer team has just announced that, following a long injury lay-off, Johann Zarco will be back on the grid sooner than expected – namely at the next Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon – provided he passes the mandatory on-site medical examination.

Following his devastating crash during the Catalan Grand Prix, Zarco had to miss the subsequent six Grand Prix races to recover from ligament injuries to his left knee. The rider and his medical team opted for non-surgical treatment, with September initially set as the target date for his return to racing.

However, Zarco’s recovery has progressed well in recent weeks, allowing him to bring forward his return to racing. As part of his rehabilitation, he has gradually increased his training workload, practising on both a Supermoto and a Honda CBR1000RR. Having made steady progress and received the go-ahead from his medical team to resume racing, Zarco will travel to Aragon to make his comeback – subject to passing the mandatory medical examination at the circuit.

In sporting terms, expectations for the veteran are unlikely to be set very high initially. In the World Championship standings, the rider from Cannes has slipped to 17th place. This also means that Cal Crutchlow, who had been standing in for Zarco in his former team since Mugello with some very respectable performances, is once again bidding farewell to the MotoGP stage.

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28.08.2026 - 08:55