Photo: Philip Platzer / Red Bull Ring
Johann Zarco and Luca Marini extend their contracts with Honda
Honda have confirmed their MotoGP riders for the coming years. Johann Zarco will stay with LCR Honda until 2027, and Luca Marini will continue with the factory HRC team in 2026 after a strong season
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LCR Honda have confirmed that Johann Zarco will stay with the team for another two years, making him the first rider to sign a contract that stretches into 2027.
Zarco’s deal continues directly with Honda HRC, the factory team for the Japanese brand. This means he keeps full factory rider status and will receive the same technical updates and developments as the official HRC squad.
The Frenchman and LCR have built a strong partnership over the past two seasons, highlighted by Zarco’s victory at Le Mans and a podium finish at Silverstone. With the new contract, they will now continue their journey together into the next chapter of MotoGP, under the upcoming technical regulations.
Zarco expressed his excitement to MotoGP.com:
“I’m very pleased to confirm that I will stay with LCR for the next two years. This is important because we have big goals to achieve and great opportunities looking ahead to 2027. When I signed with Honda at the end of 2023, I didn’t expect to find that second wind, which gave me the energy to secure another two-year contract with them. We already achieved one victory with Lucio and the team, and it would be fantastic to experience that again, so we are determined to keep pushing for strong results. Over the past two years, Honda has provided LCR with great support, and we believe we can continue growing and developing the bike through our hard work. I’d like to thank HRC, LCR, and everybody supporting us.”
While Zarco’s future is secured, Honda also confirmed that Luca Marini will remain with the factory HRC team for 2026. The Italian has shown big progress in 2025, scoring points in every race he has started and already beating his results from last season. His best weekend so far came at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he finished fourth in the Sprint and fifth in the main race.
Marini shared his excitement with MotoGP.com:
“I am very happy to continue with Honda HRC. We’ve been clear about our future plans for some time, and I’m fully committed to helping Honda return to the top. Working with a factory like Honda gives you huge motivation. We’ve improved a lot since I joined in 2024, and my goal is to keep pushing until the final lap in Valencia.”
