Johann Zarco concludes “we cannot copy” after “intense” Sepang MotoGP Test

Johann Zarco left an “intense” final afternoon at the Sepang MotoGP test convinced he must follow his own set-up direction for the latest RC213V, rather than “copy” the factory HRC riders.

While Joan Mir and Luca Marini soon felt the positives from Honda’s 2026 package, Zarco found himself on the back foot.

“The way I started on the first day and the second day, I was a bit struggling, because what I was doing on the bike was not really working,” Zarco explained.

“And even if you can feel there is a good potential to go fast, and the very positive comments of Mir and Marini, I could not really be as positive as them.

“But at the end of the second day and [day three], I have been a bit more positive and more constant. So this was really good.

“We had an intense afternoon, because from 2 to 6pm we rode non-stop. And the feeling got better and better.”

The LCR rider posted his best lap on the final morning, which would place him 16th (+1.199s) overall, before switching focus to race pace.

"We cannot copy"

The progress so far came after seeking his own set-up.

“I need to have my own setup. Because clearly, we cannot copy what the other [HRC] guys are doing, even if they are super positive [about it],” he said.

“Our body [sizes] are so different, and we can see that where you put your weight on the bike makes a lot of difference. 

"That's why we need to understand how to make the bike also for me.”

Zarco’s next task is to refine his balance further and improve “control” when the grip drops, also a “weak point” during October’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

“I think the bike has improved very well, but still we need to find this good balance. A race bike is very sensitive, and to be on the right balance is not easy. But once you get it, then you get a lot of fun,” Zarco said. “That will be the target of Buriram.

“Everyone has some tyre drop here in Malaysia. But for my side, when it starts to drop, the control of the bike gets more and more difficult. So then every lap is getting worse and worse.

“It was my weak point during the race last year. I still feel that I did not improve this point well enough. So let's see how Buriram is with different tyres. 

"But I know that during the season, this will be a point that I have to find a solution.”

Mir finished as Honda’s fastest rider in fifth, with Marini 13th and Zarco’s MotoGP rookie team-mate Diogo Moreira 20th.