Zarco shows heart at Aragon: back after months out, best Honda and a direct Q2 entry

"Nothing to lose": a spine-tingling restart already, Johann Zarco the best Honda rider on MotoGP Friday at Aragon!

Declared fit yesterday and confirmed today after FP1, followed by an incredible direct Q2 spot in Practice, best Honda rider on track and the only one in the top 10. Johann Zarco laid down his marker at the end of the first MotoGP day at Aragon, his first official outing since mid-May at Montmelo, when he suffered a serious injury in the start-line incident, with his leg getting crazily wedged in Pecco Bagnaia’s Ducati. But that’s in the past now: the experienced LCR Honda rider followed his rehab without setbacks and is raring to make his mark again. Physically it already went better than expected, even if the final assessment will only come after the two races, a significant workload for a rider who’s been out for months.

"I really wanted to be here. During practice I saw that things were going well," Zarco told Canal+ at the end of the day. Physically he’s still behind, naturally, but he looked fast and gave everything to grab an important top 10, avoiding another qualifying session. "It’s always an advantage in terms of energy," he stressed. He hoped to catch a tow from another rider for a little extra help, but in the end it didn’t work out and he did it all on his own, securing the very last spot available for direct access to Q2.

"I had nothing to lose and I put in a good lap. It’s a great feeling, like saying ‘Daddy’s back.’ I really enjoyed it." Cramping is clearly still there, but the Frenchman doesn’t want to dwell too much on his physical condition. "We’ll see how my body reacts. I tried to get comfortable with the track without pushing too hard," he said, then shifting the discussion to his pace. "I could lap in 1:47, but in the Sprint everyone will push hard and we’ll do 1:46. I hope to have fun. It was a pleasure to get back on the bike."

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