Johann Zarco has been backed for a factory Honda ride - but 🧜o🍌ther factors have been tipped to come into play.

Zarco was Honda’s best rider last year from their LCR satellite team🌌, and has continued his overa♌chieving form in 2025.

He currently sits sixth in the 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:MotoGP standings after thr🦩ee rounds, havi🎃ng started the campaign with a pair of top-10 grand prix finishes.

Honda’s eye-catching progression this season has caused sp🐽eculation over how coveted their factory seat might be in 2026.

Joan Mir ✃is contracted, but t🎐eammate Luca Marini’s deal expires at the end of this year.

Zarco is an obvious candidate to be☂ promoted, while KTM’s Pedro Acosta and WSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu have also been linked.

Johann Zarco 'deserves' Honda MotoGP promotion

TNT Sports’ Sylvain Guintoli said about Zarco: “He deser💃ves it. But it becomes politi🐽cal.

“In LCR he gets the same tꦗreatm🌞ent. He gets the same bike, and he’s got a Honda contract.

“So, for him, it’s more a question of prestige. It won’t change much in te꧃rms of the technical side.

“Honda might want to rese♛rve that status for somebody else, to attract an Acosta or a Toprak.

“Zarco is happy and performing at LCR.

“If y👍ou’re Lucio Cechinello and you’ve got your sponsors, and Zarco is on the bike, you don’t want to let hiᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚm go.”

Suddenly, the factory Honda oppor🍸tunity in 2026 is desirable if t✱he manufacturer’s improvement continues.

“They have turned things around,” Guintoli said.

“🌜It’s gone from the worst package which nobody wanted to touch - Ai Ogura, an up-and-coming Japanese rider, didn’t want to go on the bike because he didn’t know if it would be compet💛itive.

“It’s really impressive what they have done. Unbeliev🍒able.”

LCR boss Cecchinello 🃏admitted “Honda wi꧅ll the final word” over his team’s 2026 rider line-up.

He also stressed that Zarco would need to change garages, crew chiefs and team which wo🍸uld be a difficult challenge.

Cecchinello𒀰🌺 wants to keep Zarco, who is now the oldest rider in MotoGP at 34.