Johann Zarco draws praise from Guintoli and Hodgson after strong Le Mans practice
Sylvain Guintoli and Neil Hodgson both had high praise for Johann Zarco after the LCR Honda rider put in a standout performance during pre-qualifying practice at the French Grand Prix.
Zarco, coming off a memorable win in heavy rain last year at Le Mans, started his campaign strongly again by topping Friday afternoon’s practice session.
It was a tight session, with less than three-tenths separating the top ten. Remarkably, two pairs of riders even posted identical lap times during their fastest runs.
Zarco backed up his early pace from FP1 with another strong showing in the afternoon, while Luca Marini led the opening session for Honda.
Although it was Zarco’s second time leading a Friday practice this season – he also did so in Brazil – the bigger storyline might have been Marc Marquez missing out on the top ten.
The factory Ducati rider missed out on a flying lap late in the session after teammate Francesco Bagnaia went down. Bagnaia still managed to secure a Q2 spot with the third-fastest time of the day.
Neil Hodgson and Sylvain Guintoli were left impressed by Johann Zarco during French GP practice
TNT Sports’ coverage of pre-qualifying practice at the French Grand Prix saw Neil Hodgson and Sylvain Guintoli take notice as Zarco topped the timing sheets at his home race weekend.
The 35-year-old initially claimed the top spot with around 15 minutes left in the session, going nearly half a second clear before Honda stablemate Joan Mir briefly moved ahead. However, Mir’s time at the top didn’t last long.
“He just dived his way into [turn 13], followed by Diogo Moreira, who can always pull a lap out. Zarco goes top, and the crowd responds in cheers.”
Hodgson then replied, “I’ll tell you what, Zarco looks phenomenal,” before his colleague and Zarco’s compatriot, Guintoli, added:
“He’s right on the edge, but he looks so relaxed on the bike. It looks like he’s doing everything, he’s absolutely on the limit.”
Zarco now has a chance to secure his first pole position in MotoGP since his Pramac days in 2022. After pulling off an incredible win at Le Mans in 2025, he looks well-placed to deliver another strong performance this year.
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