Johann Zarco recently mentioned the possibility of leaving MotoGP at the end of the 2027 season, with the desire to pass the torch to the new generation, including his teammate Diogo Moreira.
He doesn’t hide it. At 35, Johann Zarco is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Last September, the Japanese manufacturer Honda renewed his confidence with a two-year contract but without allowing him to join the factory team. During the press conference presenting the 2026 edition of the French MotoGP Grand Prix, the Cannes native admitted in an interview with Auto Hebdo that he would be “surprised to extend” beyond the deadline represented by the end of the 2027 season. Arriving in Grand Prix in 2009, Johann Zarco has experienced many joys with two consecutive Moto2 world championship titles in 2015 and 2016, but especially with two victories in the premier class, one in front of his home crowd last year.
Zarco wants to experience riding a bike differently
While admitting that “a world title, that would be the best outcome”, the French rider mainly wants to leave his handlebars with no regrets. Indeed, he would not hesitate in the face of “ending his MotoGP career with the feeling of having done everything, achieving the results he wanted, without thinking about wins or titles.” In his eyes, “finishing when you feel like you’ve done everything that can be done is the right way to retire.” As for what’s next, Johann Zarco talks about a “desire to experience riding a bike differently.” “Given the level I can reach thanks to MotoGP, accumulating that level which propels you to another planet, all the other bikes I can ride, for example in endurance, it becomes a pleasure, like a ride with friends,” he added.
Zarco convinced by Moreira
Before moving on to post-career plans, the winner of the last French Grand Prix will have the opportunity to mentor promising rider Diogo Moreira, arriving in MotoGP with a Moto2 title. And the first few months with the Brazilian seem to have convinced him of his potential. “He is exceptional, I love him. And we see that he grasps everything very quickly,” he told the press. “At 21, he is already super mature. And a prince of off-road, really. Very good in speed. He will perform and that’s cool.” But there’s no question of becoming number 2 within the LCR team. “I think with the energy deep inside me, the desire to perform, I will still lead the LCR team,” Johann Zarco revealed. “Because it’s also a kind of pride and, at some point, it’s my competitive spirit.” Count on him to give it his all until the end.
