Being MotoGP’s oldest rider gives Johann Zarco “extra motivation”
Johann Zarco becomes MotoGP’s oldest rider at the beginning of the 2025 season.
The departure of Aleix Espargaro from full-time racing means Johann Zarco inherits the role of being MotoGP’s oldest rider in 2025, something he says gives him “extra motivation”.
Zarco began his MotoGP career in 2017 with Tech3 Yamaha, and has now ridden for four different manufacturers in the championship.
He was already 27-years-old when making his MotoGP debut at Qatar almost eight years ago, but most of the rookies coming into MotoGP now are much younger.
Ai Ogura, for example, will make the step up to MotoGP next season with Trackhouse Aprilia at the age of 23 having won the Moto2 title this year; while Gresini Ducati’s 2025 rookie Fermin Aldeguer won’t have his 20th birthday until April.
“It’s true that I will be the oldest one, I think the next one is Marc [Marquez],” said Zarco, speaking to MotoGP.com.
“This feeling with the newcomers, that they are all 20 or 22 [years-old], for me gives me like an extra motivation to keep doing the things as well as possible to feel fresh to fight with them.
“But then, I know with the experience I can compensate many things.”
Having signed for LCR Honda for the 2024 season midway through 2023, Zarco’s chances to pick up a first MotoGP victory seemed to be diminishing, with the RC213V struggling for performance.
But the Frenchman was able to score a win four races from the end of his time with the Pramac Ducati team at the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
“It took so much time, from 2017 until 2023,” Zarco said.
“We could think like it will never happen.
“So, when this happened, we can say that it’s a relief of kind of a pressure.”
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
