“I don’t feel as brave”: Johann Zarco’s Marc Marquez MotoGP recovery comparison

Johann Zarco’s recovery from the knee injuries he sustained at the Catalan MotoGP continues, and he has found a comparison to Marc Marquez in it.

Zarco has been away from MotoGP since the middle of May when his right leg got caught in the back of Luca Marini’s Honda as they fell at the first turn of the restarted Catalan MotoGP.

The injuries Zarco sustained could not be operated on because of the burning he suffered from the bike’s exhaust and the damage done to the tissue as a result. 

The time off has therefore been substantial, with Cal Crutchlow having stood in for the Frenchman for the last five rounds, and he will replace Zarco at LCR Honda again at Silverstone in August.

Zarco has admitted that his first thought in the moment of the crash was about his ability to walk again in the future, and that during the recovery from the injuries he has found some inspiration from Marc Marquez’s numerous shoulder problems and some of the footage that has been published focused on his recovery from those.

“I just hoped I’d be able to walk again,” said Johann Zarco in a video from French broadcaster Canal+. 

“I saw Marc [Marquez] suffering, grimacing as they inserted needles into his shoulder. That’s when I realized how hard it is. 

“I don’t feel as brave as he does; I don’t want to be a superhero.”

Zarco’s planned return to MotoGP is for September, but he admits that he might’ve been more rushed if his future was not already secured.

“I can think this way because I’m lucky enough to already have a contract for 2027,” he said.

“That allows me to be patient.”

While Zarco is contractually secure at HRC for next season, there is some uncertainty over his current team-mate Diogo Moreira. The Brazilian has a contract with the Japanese factory, but it is yet to be determined whether he will remain with the LCR team or move to the factory Honda HRC Castrol squad to partner Fabio Quartararo, a move that would see Moreira replaced by new HRC signing David Alonso, whose contract was announced without confirmation of his 2027 team.