Johann Zarco says LCR Honda “should catch” the chance of a podium within the MotoGP Argentina Grand Prix after qualifying on the entrance row.
Honda got here into the 2025 season having proven promising kind in testing with its RC213V, although its surge up the sphere has been faster than anticipated.
From the off in Argentina, Zarco has been within the combine excessive up inside the highest 10 and was a entrance row challenger out of the gates in Saturday morning’s Q2 session.
Shadowing eventual poleman Marc Marquez on his first run, Zarco put in a 1m37.205s to get onto the provisional entrance row.
This lap proved adequate to maintain him third on the chequered flag regardless of being unable to enhance on it, with Zarco claiming Honda’s first entrance row begin for the reason that 2023 Italian GP.
Having felt on Friday that there was a risk of the rostrum, Zarco reiterated this after qualifying.
“It’s good, significantly better than what I may anticipate,” the Frenchman mentioned in parc ferme.
“However from the pace of Friday, it’s simply so good to substantiate it as we speak.
“Yesterday for the time assault I mentioned we have been lacking one thing.
“At the very least on this qualifying, the primary lap was virtually good, I used to be saying to my crew ‘how can I get higher, it’s going to be robust?’
“However it was not essential to do higher, it was sufficient.
“To see P3 on the finish, first row, it’s so good as a result of we’re coming from far again and it’s good to be again right here, at the very least in Argentina.
“So, we are going to take it and if we’ve got an opportunity on the podium we should catch it.”
Honda hasn’t been on the rostrum since Marc Marquez was third on the red-flagged 2023 Japanese GP, with its greatest grand prix end result final yr an eighth-place.
Having already crushed this within the opening spherical of the season in Thailand two weeks in the past when Zarco was seventh, LCR crew boss Lucio Cecchinello says HRC “deserves some gentle out of the tunnel” in response to his rider’s entrance row qualifying lead to Argentina.
“Actually, he did an incredible job,” he informed the MotoGP world feed.
“All of the crew did an incredible job.
“Honda HRC deserve some gentle out of the tunnel and we’re more than happy to have the ability to make it occur. Hopefully this can be a superb signal and let’s see tomorrow.”
