The British Grand Prix revitalized MotoGP, and the on- and off-track action was nonstop. While Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) won well on the final lap of Sunday's race at Silverstone, there were some considerable shifts in the rider market that might have far-reaching consequences for some well-known riders in the coming weeks, most notably Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing). While Johann Zarco is currently in fifth position in the MotoGP standings following the British MotoGP, he has admitted that it "feels a bit strange" not to have a confirmed berth for the 2024 season. The Frenchman's position as a Pramac Ducati rider, which he has held since 2020, appears to be in jeopardy due to the emergence of Marco Bezzecchi. The young Italian wants a factory-spec Ducati for next season. If it can not happen at VR46, then Zarco will have to pay for Bezzecchi to relocate to Pramac. Zarco has just Pramac as a Ducati option, and he has ruled out moving to WorldSBK at this stage of his career. However, with Alex Rins's LCR seat being open, Honda has entered the discussion as a possible replacement.
MotoGP: What did Johann Zarco Say?
Throughout his eight-year tenure in the premier class, Zarco has gained extensive experience riding Yamaha, KTM, Ducati, and even Honda motorcycles. As a double Moto2 world champion, Zarco possesses a wealth of valuable skills and expertise that would greatly benefit Honda.
The individual expressed a sense of pride in the prospect of assuming the role in question, as indicated by their statement, "I would be proud to be this guy," in response to conjecture associating them with a prominent position at Honda. The evaluation of the present condition of the RC213V was deemed as a fascinating possibility, but the individual in question acknowledged the formidable challenge of surpassing their current place of residence.
"It won’t be a bad challenge. If you think about victory, to be in the top position and to fight, as I’m doing now for a few years, clearly the place to be is at Ducati because it’s the best bike. We can see it on the track," he added
"It’s good to have the interest of Honda. Clearly, it’s nice to have this kind of brand interested, even if they’re struggling. We have to think about this. But my target is Ducati with this winning bike and winning team, too. We’re leading the Championship with Pramac. Jorge [Martin] and I are good together so why not continue?"
Zarco maintains a steadfast belief that he deserves an opportunity to extend his tenure with Ducati and pilot the Desmosedici beyond the present season. However, he asserts that Prima Pramac Racing is his sole viable avenue to achieve this objective. "At the moment results are good enough to think about Ducati and Pramac on a factory bike."
The potential transfer of Zarco to Honda in the 2023 Season presents an unexpected development. This move would subsequently facilitate Marco Bezzecchi's transition to a Pramac factory motorcycle. Consequently, Franco Morbidelli would assume Bezzecchi's position and resume his affiliation with the VR46 team.
MotoGP: Morbidelli to Ducati?
There has been a lot of speculation about what will happen to Franco Morbidelli now that Yamaha has announced that they would be signing LCR Honda's Alex Rins for the 2024 season. There will only be room for so many riders on the 2024 MotoGP grid, so now is the time for the Italian to make or break his MotoGP career. When asked, Ducati Corse Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti talked extremely highly of the 2020 runner-up, and the Italian looks quietly assured about his future.
“I think Franco Morbidelli is in a difficult moment, but he has great talent. We would like to see Morbidelli on a Ducati next year. We will see what happens in the next few weeks,” Ducati Corse Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti explained.
Ciabatti provided a comprehensive discussion on the prospective developments of the Ducati lineup. Given the abundance of talented riders associated with the Bologna factory, there are numerous considerations that warrant contemplation.
“At the moment it is no secret that we would like to be able to give Marco Bezzecchi a factory bike, he is having a very good year, winning races. We have to clarify our ideas between today and tomorrow to be able to give him a factory bike next year”.
Yamaha made the decision to terminate its contract with Morbidelli in favour of signing Alex Rins, who is already affiliated with LCR Honda. Rins, the sole Honda race victor in the specified year, departed from the Japanese corporation due to perceiving insufficient assistance, notwithstanding his commendable performance on a motorcycle that has been widely acknowledged as challenging to manoeuvre.
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