Zarco on his comeback: “It started off really cool and ended normally”

After more than three months out with injury, LCR Honda rider Johann Zarco made his comeback at Aragon. Last weekend, the seasoned MotoGP rider achieved something that astonished everyone – including himself. First, he secured direct entry into Q2 by finishing tenth in Friday’s free practice. In Saturday’s qualifying, he secured ninth place on the grid for his RC213V, putting him on the third row. Zarco also finished ninth in the sprint race, making him the second-best Honda rider.

In Sunday’s Grand Prix, he had no choice but to win. For as if his return following a serious injury wasn’t difficult enough, Zarco also had to complete a double long lap. The reason: in mid-May, the Frenchman caused the crash in the first corner at Barcelona, which involved himself, Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) and Luca Marini (Honda). At the time, Zarco was swept along in Marini’s slipstream and was unable to brake in time to avoid the Italian. Zarco’s leg then became wedged in the rear of Bagnaia’s Ducati.

Johann Zarco

Foto: Gold & Goose

Zarco put up a brave fight in Aragon and finished 15th in the main race. “I came here to complete these two long laps and regain my feel for the bike. I managed to do that,” he said after the Grand Prix. “I’m so happy that I managed to score one point on Saturday and another on Sunday. It’s great to be working with the team again. Everyone was thrilled – and so was I. I’m also pleased that I had a good feeling on the bike after the break. My comments were clear too. Because when you race in so many races in a row, sometimes you don’t know what to say anymore. Now my feedback was very clear, and I’ll try to keep it that way until the end of the season.”

Willkommen zum Rennen in Aragón

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Jorge Martin

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Fans

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Marc Márquez

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Fermin Aldeguer

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Fermin Aldeguer, Alex Márquez, Franco Morbidelli, Fabio Di Giannantonio

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Start des Rennens

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Marco Bezzecchi

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Moreira und Bastianini

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Marc Márquez

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Pecco Bagnaia

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Alex Márquez

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Fabio Di Giannantonio

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Pedro Acosta

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Brad Binder

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Fermin Aldeguer

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Marc Márquez und Pedro Acosta

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Jorge Martin

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Marc Márquez gewinnt das Rennen

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Sieger Marc Márquez

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Pedro Acosta, Marc Márquez, Marco Bezzecchi

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Sieger Marc Márquez

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Willkommen zum Rennen in Aragón

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Zarco: “I used the break to keep the dream alive”

How did the 36-year-old cope physically during the 23-lap race? “My body held up very well. I did have some cramps on Friday, but I think that’s normal when you have to get used to the motorbike again. And the six coffees I had on Thursday were perhaps a bit too much for my body,” smiled Zarco. “I cut back over the rest of the weekend and my body thanked me for it.”

Johann Zarco impressed everyone on his comeback. Did the Aragon weekend also exceed his expectations? “I used the break to keep the dream alive. You always have it in the back of your mind that something really cool could happen,” explained the Honda rider. “It started off really well and ended quite normally. I wanted a weekend like this just to feel that joy.”