The departure of Aleix Espargaro from full-time racing 😼means🌊 Johann Zarco inherits the role of being MotoGP’s oldest rider in 2025, something he says gives him “extra motivation”.

Zarco began his MotoGP career in 2017 with Tech3 Yamaha, and ▨has now ridden for four different manufacturers in t☂he championship.

He 🍷was already 27-years-old when making his MotoGP debut at Qatar almost eight years ago, but most of the rookies coming in𝔍to MotoGP now are much younger.

Ai Ogura, f🎉or example, will make the step up to MotoGP next season with Trackhouse Aprilia at the age of 23 having won the Moto2 title this year; while Gresini Ducati’s 2025 rookie Fermin Aldeguer won’🦹t have his 20th birthday until April.

“It’s true that I will be the old𒊎est one, I think the next one is Marc [Marquez],” said Zarco, speaking to MotoGP.com.

“This feeling with the newcomers, that they are all 20 or 22 [years-old], for me gives me like an extra motiv❀ation to keep doing the things as well as possible to feel fresh to fight with them.

“But then, I know wꦚith the expe▨rience I can compensate many things.”

Having signed for LCR Honda for the 2024 season midway throuꦓgh 2023, Zarco’s chances to pick up a first MotoGP victory seemed to be diminishing, with the RC213V struggling for performance.

But the Frenchman was able to score a win four races from the end﷽ of his time with the Pramac Ducati team at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.

“It took so much ꦏtime, from 201🦋7 until 2023,” Zarco said.

“We could think like it will never happen.

🔯“So, when this happened, we can say that it’s a relief of kind of a pressure.”