Johann Zarco explains why he calls his recovery a "miracle"

Johann Zarco says his recovery from the serious knee injuries he suffered at the Catalan Grand Prix has been much better than expected.

The French rider crashed heavily at the first corner of the race in May and tore three ligaments in his knee. At first, it looked like he could be out until September. However, Zarco has now revealed that two of the damaged ligaments have healed very well, and he no longer needs surgery.

Speaking to Canal+, Zarco described his recovery as "a bit of a miracle".

He explained that riding a MotoGP bike puts different pressure on the knee compared to sports such as football or skiing. Because of this, doctors decided that surgery was not necessary.

Zarco said he was very relieved by the news because an operation would have ended any realistic chance of returning this season. Instead, he is already walking normally again and has started training to rebuild his fitness.

He said being able to train again has given him fresh motivation. He hopes to ride a motorcycle again in early or mid-August to regain confidence before returning to racing. Zarco also stressed that he does not want to rush back too soon and would rather return when he feels fully prepared.

Although there was hope that he could race at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 7-9 August, that will not happen. LCR Honda has confirmed that Cal Crutchlow will continue to replace Zarco for the British round.

Crutchlow has been standing in for Zarco since the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. The former MotoGP race winner returned to racing after a long break, having last competed regularly before becoming Yamaha's test rider. So far, he has not scored any championship points during his substitute appearances, with his best results being 16th place in Hungary and the Netherlands.

Crutchlow's appearance at Silverstone will also be significant because he will become the first British rider to start a MotoGP race at the British Grand Prix since he last did so in 2021. Britain has not had a full-time MotoGP rider since Crutchlow retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2020 season.

Zarco's current recovery schedule means the Aragon Grand Prix at the end of August could be a more realistic target for his return, although no official date has been confirmed.

When Zarco does return, he will have to serve a double long-lap penalty in his first Grand Prix. MotoGP stewards gave him the penalty after deciding he caused the accident at the Catalan Grand Prix, even though he was also injured in the crash.

Looking back at the incident, Zarco admitted he regrets returning to the race after an earlier collision involving Pedro Acosta and Alex Marquez. He explained that debris from that crash hit his foot, forcing him to stop in the pits. Although his foot was bruised, he decided to continue racing.

Now, he believes that was the wrong decision.

Zarco said he is angry with himself because he should have stayed in the pits instead of going back onto the track. He said he feels lucky to have escaped with injuries that are now healing well, but also accepts that the accident might have been avoided if he had not rejoined the race.