In 2025, Johann Zarco will be the oldest rider on the MotoGP grid, ending the season at 35 years of age. However, he isn’t the most experienced in the premier class, having debuted in 2017 compared to Marc Márquez, who joined in 2013.
Speaking to the championship’s website, as quoted by Crash.net, the French rider from LCR Honda said that his age serves as extra motivation. He also highlighted how he can leverage his experience to compete with younger riders:
– It’s true that I’ll be the oldest; I think the next one is Marc. This feeling, with the newcomers who are all 20 or 22 years old, gives me extra motivation to keep doing things as well as possible to feel fresh and ready to fight with them. But then, I know that with experience, I can compensate for many things.
This year, Zarco joined LCR Honda, and despite having a uncompetitive bike, the season wasn’t easy. Nevertheless, he managed to be the strongest Honda rider, finishing 17th overall, ahead of Takaaki Nakagami and the factory team riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini.