Johann Zarco takes tremendous victory at Le Mans!

Castrol Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco has claimed a historic victory at the French Grand Prix, securing a long-awaited home win in his 150th MotoGP race start.

Zarco delivered an emotional and strategic performance at Le Mans, making the crucial decision to switch to the wet bike early, a move that proved decisive as weather conditions worsened and the race grew increasingly intense.

The Frenchman won the race with a dominant 20-second lead over the rider in second place, Marc Marquez, maintaining a consistent and fast pace throughout the whole race.

This win marks Honda’s first MotoGP victory since the Americas Grand Prix in 2023 (Alex Rins), breaking a lengthy drought for the manufacturer.

In front of thousands of cheering fans, Zarco etched his name into Le Mans history, a moment of pure joy for French motorsport and a milestone in his career.

With this result, Zarco now stands 6th in the MotoGP World Championship standings, the highest-ranked Honda rider so far this season.

“There are no words to express what I felt today. We didn’t expect to win, and doing it on home soil is something truly incredible and emotional. It was a long and intense race, but the strategy we applied as a team really paid off. I took a gamble, as the forecast predicted rain, and today, we made the right call. Winning with Honda is something I’ve been aiming for, and now we’ve done it. Huge thanks to the team, to my parents who were here to experience the Grand Prix with me, to HRC, to the sponsors, and to everyone who’s supported us. This is a day I’ll never forget”, said Johann Zarco.

credit: LCR Honda Team