Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR) is BACK! The Frenchman returned to MotoGP action at the Aragon GP, showing true grit, determination and (most importantly) plenty of speed. Zarco returned to the points on his return, ending an incredible weekend with loads of positives. The #5 described his points-scoring return as "awesome", with focus switching to the remaining nine rounds of the season.
Zarco’s comeback story began in May following a Turn 1 crash in Barcelona. He suffered a small fracture at the bottom of his fibula and ligament injuries before being discharged from hospital and returning to France. Once home, he began his recovery, working with a knee specialist and setting September as his target. Following medical advice, Zarco did not undergo surgery, instead continuing his recovery and training before returning to riding motorcycles. September became August. Aragon was the goal…
GREEN LIGHT FOR ARAGON
The Frenchman was back in the paddock, receiving the green light on Thursday afternoon to ride on Friday morning. Another check-up was needed following FP1, a session where he finished P11 before being given the go-ahead to compete in the remainder of the GP. The speed wasn’t a fluke either, ending Friday P10, earning direct entry to Q2 and leaving LCR very emotional. His return was in full flow.
Describing his first day back on a MotoGP bike, Zarco said: "Very nice. From the first laps this morning, I was so happy to see that the lap time was coming, and I was already inside the top 10. It was a good feeling that I wasn’t shocked by the speed of the bike. Aragon is a fast track, and I think I did 340 km/h this morning, but it feels normal.
"It’s three months and 10/12 days since the crash; avoiding the surgery was a huge advantage to keep training and not lose too much time. I didn’t push myself to come back too quickly, but luckily, we are right there. I'm not a soccer player, so stability in the knee is not as important as a soccer player, which helped me have this comeback so quickly."
BACK IN THE POINTS
His pace carried into Saturday, impressing once more as the #5 qualified on the third row – 0.821s adrift from pole. Launching from P9, Zarco was cautious at Turn 1 before using his strong pace in the shorter Sprint. Battling inside the top 10 throughout Saturday’s Sprint, Zarco crossed the line P9 – scoring one point. He wasn’t afraid to get his elbows out either, finishing just 1.546s behind P6 finisher Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). Astonishing, to say the least.
Discussing his return to Sprint points, Zarco added: "A great race. I could control the speed, overtake, and score some points – I'm very happy with it. I didn’t attack anyone in the first braking zone, as starting on the left side at Aragon doesn’t help you with braking. I don’t think I was very scared due to my Catalunya crash. I was very happy to feel good on the bike and control my Sprint.
"One point is good."
23 LAPS ON SUNDAY
Sunday was a tougher task… 23 laps in distance and two Long Laps to complete, as the #5 served his penalty following the Barcelona incident. Zarco was back on top form on Sunday, showing incredible speed and determination to cross the line P15 and (yet again) score one point – the perfect way to end his weekend. Heroic doesn’t even do it justice.
Reflecting on his comeback, Zarco said: "I came here to do the double Long Lap Penalty and get the feeling on the bike. That was the goal. I took a point yesterday and today, and that’s awesome! I really enjoyed my weekend with the team; I had missed them! One of the most important things is that I got some interesting feelings on the bike and was able to provide consistent and solid feedback to the crew.
"I’m really happy to be back and to have had such a nice weekend!"
Next up for the #5, Misano! It’s another opportunity for Zarco to gather more data, continue to train and build some momentum before the flyaways begin in October. Catch the remainder of the season and join us at the San Marino GP.
Chapeau, Johann!