Zarco held "open discussions" with Honda over new MotoGP bike struggles

Johann Zarco held a meeting with Honda and his LCR team during the Indonesian Grand Prix weekend to address his struggles with the marque’s updated MotoGP bike.

The introduction of an updated RC213V after the summer break, featuring a new chassis, swingarm and improved aero, has helped Honda’s factory team move closer to the front, with Joan Mir finishing on the podium in the Japanese Grand Prix and team-mate Luca Marini running as second in Indonesia last week.

However, these gains haven’t transferred to its satellite team LCR, with star rider Zarco largely struggling for results since he belatedly received the new bike at the Misano test.

The Frenchman qualified a distant 18th in the Indonesian Grand Prix and could only recover to 12th in a race that saw only 14 finishers after running into clutch issues.

Zarco admitted that he does not yet have the same speed he enjoyed on the previous version of the bike, which carried him to victory in a rain-hit French GP and a podium in dry-weather Silverstone in May.

As such, he is now working closely with Honda to find a solution, aware that his riding style is markedly different from Marini’s and Mir’s.

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

“We will find a new base with the team to work with this new bike, because we had a very great meeting with my team and with Honda [on Saturday],” Zarco said in Mandalika. 

“I'm so happy to have an open discussion like this with Honda and with Lucio [Cecchinello]. We analysed that I was feeling very good and improving myself on the old bike.

“Compared to the two factory riders, my riding style is a bit different. I was going to some different set-up, which was working, but it seems on the new bike, I cannot get the advantage that I was having before. 

“That's why we tried to rebuild a new base to give me the confidence, because we know that once the confidence is back, then I will be fast. I'm not under panic now, because we can see that some riders [like Francesco Bagnaia] can win and then struggle.”

Zarco "lost confidence" due to crash streak

After the highs of Le Mans and Silverstone, Zarco hit a rough patch and struggled to finish races inside the top 10, with a painful run of crashes compounding his mid-year difficulties. 

Between Aragon and Barcelona, he suffered five DNFs in eight races due to incidents, making him the rider with the most number of crashes this season.

Johann Zarco, Team LCR Honda crash

Photo by: Robertus Pudyanto / Getty Images

Zarco admitted that his crash spree in the summer dented his confidence, and he has spent the last few races gradually rebuilding his composure.

“To make another step as Mir did, it's a matter of confidence,” he said. “I crashed too much during the summer, and I've lost this confidence. 

“To find the confidence back, you need to finish races. At Motegi and here [in Indonesia], I could finish the race. Even if it's not the pace I would like, I will take what is coming.”