Johann Zarco ‘happy’ for points but ‘sad’ at Honda’s ongoing lack of pace

Johann Zarco was prepared to accept solid points for his run to 12th in the San Marino MotoGP despite acknowledging it as a fortuitous result after adopting the correct tactics in showery conditions at Misano.

The Frenchman - a race winner with Pramac Ducati last season - is enduring a trying first season on Honda machinery as part of the LCR team with 12th place his best finish of the year coming into Round 13.

It is a personal best that showed no signs of being improved at Misano earlier in the weekend, Zarco joining his Honda counterparts in muddling around towards the back of the field in qualifying and during the Sprint Race.

However, the double Moto2 World Champion would happen upon some fortune during the full-length encounter when he chose to stay on course in changeable weather, rather than join several others around him in pitting for a wet-shod bike.

A decision that would come to fruition when the weather cleared - thus forcing those who had pitted for wet tyres to return to pit-lane and swap back to slick-shod machines - Zarco held his position as the best of the Hondas to take the flag for four valuable points in 12th.

Though pleased to take home precious points - something he only achieved on seven occasions this year - he remains frustrated at Honda’s general lack of performance versus its rivals.

“We missed a lot in (terms of) pace and I am kind of sad that I couldn’t do anything. From the beginning of the race I wanted to fight but I cannot follow the others.

“It is difficult to control the emotion on the bike but I knew we had this grey sky and it could be random conditions, so I am happy for this because we took the decision to hold our position to the end.”

LCR team-mate Takaaki Nakagami - who will be replaced in the team by Somkiat Chantra next year - was similarly relieved to benefit from his strategic choice as he came home for points in 13th.

“I saw a couple of riders into the pits and I was like ‘thank you’!

“We were a couple of places outside the points but we were super lucky, today we got inside the points. So it was a surprise.”