Zarco accused of chasing “money” at Honda: “Strange, paddock is shocked!”
That’s the view of TNT Sports’ MotoGP broadcasters who watched with surprise as the big news emerged in Austria.
Zarco, whose Pramac Racing seat has been touted around, has confirmed that he will join LCR Honda from 2024.
A baffled Neil Hodgson reacted on TNT: “So I’ve got an offer to stay on the Ducati for next season, or I could jump on that Honda? Show me the money!
“You can’t blame him. He’s coming to the end of his career.
“Not only getting on a Honda, he’s not in a factory team, he’s in the LCR team on a long-term contract!
“It’s a strange move. The paddock is shocked.”
Sylvain Guintoli added: “It is strange because of what he did with KTM.
“He had a very decent factory contract. He lost it after a few races because he couldn’t cope with not being competitive.
“At that point, the project was still growing.
“He went away from the money. He got rescued, basically, by Ducati.
“It is a shock, in that respect.”
Hodgson said: “We’ll see what happens. I haven’t got a good feeling about it, though. I haven’t.”
Some reports suggest that Zarco could double his wages by swapping Ducati for Honda but he is also moving off MotoGP’s best bike to climb onto its worst.
Zarco insisted that a guaranteed two-year contract at Honda was a crucial factor in ensuring his MotoGP longevity.
He will replace Alex Rins, who is bound for Yamaha.
As it stands, Zarco leaves an attractive vacancy at Pramac.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
