Why Johann Zarco’s MotoGP results have dipped since getting upgraded Honda

LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco says he is “not panicking” that his results have dipped since getting the RC213V’s major upgrades from the Japanese Grand Prix.

Honda introduced a raft of updates to the bike following the summer break that has seen the RC213V take a significant step forward, with Joan Mir third on it at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Johann Zarco received the upgrades at Motegi, but hasn’t been able to match the form of his factory counterparts.

In Japan he was ninth on the bike, while a clutch issue at the start of the Indonesian Grand Prix - where he qualified 19th - meant he could do no better than 12th as Luca Marini was fifth on the factory team RC213V.

Speaking after the Indonesian Grand Prix, Zarco says the set-up he used on the pre-upgraded bike has removed “confidence” but he is having “open discussions” with HRC about this.

“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 Honda, and I’m so happy to have open discussions like this with Honda and Lucio [Cecchinello],” he said.

“We analysed that I was feeling very good and improving myself on the old bike, and compared to the two factory riders my riding style was different, which was working.

“But on the new bike, I can’t get the advantage I was having before.

“That’s why we tried to rebuild a new base to give me the confidence, because we know when the confidence is back I will be fast.

“I’m not panicking now because we see some riders can win and struggle. It’s just a tough weekend that was important to finish.”

On his clutch issue, he said: “A bit unlucky. My start was ok, but from the first lap to the fourth lap I got a technical issue with the clutch.

“The clutch was spinning. It seems it’s the same problem [Luca] Marini had at Motegi.

“I tried to fix it myself, but I think in a mechanical way, doing it by hand, was not really helping.

“But I tried to not open full throttle to not spin too much and try to see if after a few laps if the clutch could work better.

“It worked, but I was almost last; just [Somkiat] Chantra was behind me, Pecco [Bagnaia] was struggling also, and [Enea] Bastianini.

“These were the guys I was with. Then when it started to work, I tried to get up to pace as soon as possible and gather information on the bike to keep working with the team.

“I saw I was already in the points because of many crashes on the first lap. So, seeing myself in the points and me feeling that I have lost the race because of some technical issue, I tried to finish it and do the best ride as possible to catch information.”