Marquez: Zarco difficult to predict with LCR Honda stand-in

Marc Marquez expects Johann Zarco to use his three-race LCR Honda outing to demonstrate his ability to the MotoGP paddock after his nightmare split at Red Bull KTM but fears it will be difficult for the French rider.

After a premature end to his KTM partnership following a mutual split, Zarco had found himself without a future in MotoGP until a surprise opportunity at LCR Honda with Takaaki Nakagami requiring shoulder surgery which has ruled him out of the final three rounds of the season.

Marquez: Zarco difficult to predict with LCR Honda stand-in

Marc Marquez expects Johann Zarco to use his three-race LCR Honda outing to demonstrate his ability to the MotoGP paddock after his nightmare split at Red Bull KTM but fears it will be difficult for the French rider.

After a premature end to his KTM partnership following a mutual split, Zarco had found himself without a future in MotoGP until a surprise opportunity at LCR Honda with Takaaki Nakagami requiring shoulder surgery which has ruled him out of the final three rounds of the season.

It means the two-time Moto2 world champion has a short-term chance to get to grips with the 2018-specificaiton Honda RC213V as he fights for his future having expressed his intention to continue racing in either MotoGP or Moto2 in 2020 after turning down Yamaha’s test rider offer.

Repsol Honda’s Marquez says he doesn’t know what to expect from Zarco over the next three races but believes the French rider is using the opportunity to display his credentials to teams with an eye on securing a 2020 deal.

“It is so difficult and he cannot predict or nobody can predict but of course Johann has really good talent as a two-time world champion in Moto2,” Marquez said. “Now he is in a difficult situation in his career and he will try to give his 100%.

“In three races it is difficult to show all that you can do but if you have talent you can already show it from the beginning.

“He will try to be fast from the beginning and show to all MotoGP teams that maybe he deserves a seat on a MotoGP bike. That’s his first intention for sure.”

Assessing his own Australian MotoGP, Marquez says he is keeping the same mentality while bracing for a challenging weekend at Phillip Island fighting against the unpredictable weather conditions at a track which on paper will suit his Yamaha and Suzuki rivals.

“The target on Sunday is to try to fight for the victory but it is a circuit that you need feel that you can because it has very high speed corners and this means a lot of risk,” he explained. “It is a circuit that if you don’t feel it, then it is better to stay calm and try to finish on the podium and try to finish the race.

“Today we have a summer day but maybe tomorrow we will have a winter day, you never know, this is when we will try to work in a good way to try to be ready for Sunday and fight against Yamaha and Suzuki are bikes that will work very good here as they are very stable in high speed corners. So it will be tough to beat them but we will try.”

Having already sealed the 2019 MotoGP riders’ and constructors’ world titles, Marquez and Repsol Honda are targeting the final leg of the Triple Crown with the teams’ championship which it currently trails Ducati by 17 points.

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