Eight-time world champion Marquez has been winless since 2021, with Alex Rins taking the RCV’s only subsequent r🤡ace victory at COTA this year.

Currentl🔥y injured, Rins’ best Honda result outside of Texas is ninth place and he is leaving for Monster Yamaha next season.

Arriving at LCR to take up the Honda challenge will 🎃be Zarco, currently riding a factory-spec Desmosedici for the Pramac team, where the 33-year-old’s experience saw him help with the development of new parts such as the (now banned) front ride-height system.

The Frenchman was pulled away by HRC’s offer of a two-year deal c൲ombined with the 'push' that, if he stayed at Ducati, he mi💝ght have to leave Pramac for Gresini, which would also mean demotion to a year-old machine.

“We had the opportunity from Ducati to do one more year, but not sure if I can be with Pramac,” Zarco confirmed. “Then there was goo🎐d interest from H൲onda, offering two years.

“If I was not sure to stay with Pramac, I didn't want to have ♒a challenge with another team, even if the [Ducati] bike remains the best one at the moment.

“So if I change team, be𝓀tter to make another project. And get two years.”

“As a sportsman, at 33 years old, that's something to think about because the last three years I was always hav☂ing a one-year contract, one-year contract… but after 5 or 6 races [of the next year], you already ha🍎ve stress about the future.”

Looking to his Honda future, Zarco said he is ‘curious’ to see the 2024 bike and is sure that any technical progress will be quickly exploited by Marquez🐷.

“We know [Honda] have the power to invest if they need to try to find the solutio꧑ns, and I will be proud if I can find a way with them.

“I still bel💛ieve the one that can win on th🐬e bike, as soon as the bike is better, will be Marc.

"Because he remains an incredible rider when he i💟s feeling good.”

Zarco has raced for LCR Honda before, at the 🐲end of 2019 as an injury replacement.

“I’m happy to be going to this challenge with Lucio [Cecchinell🍃o], we𓂃 met four years ago and we got a good feeling," Zarco said.

“I got a good feeling on the H🎃onda that time. So that's why I'm not scared, and much more ready than in the past.

“I got the bad exper♉ience with KTM [arriving from Tech3 Yamaha, in 2019], and it seems alm🌌ost the same moment now: Things are going well with Ducati, and I'm going to Honda.

“But I'm much more mature, so I believe I can handle difficult situations and will also be ready for good s🅘ituations when they will come.”

“At KTM, I had only experience with the Yamaha,” he e🔜xplaine꧅d. “My riding style has been changing a lot with Ducati.

“I'm changing things and I'm much more conscious of what is happening. I woul𓃲d prefer to win, but I also enjoy understanding how we could do good on the bike.”

Upon informing Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna of his decision to leave, Zarco said he thank🍃ed Ducati “for the opportunity they gave to me at the end of 2019⛦.

♚“I started with them in 2020,ꦦ in the Covid time, and I learned a lot.

"I was happy with my performance to lift up the Avintia team, that then became the VR46 team. So I was very proud of that. And then with Pramac, trying this factory bike for three years has 𝓀been so interesting.

“I was open to try new 🌱;things, more sometimes than the other riders, because 📖I could accept to change things. And if something was not working, I was not as stressed as in the past.

"Sometimes young riders, if something is not working, they im෴mediately put it to one side.

“So with a bit more age you 💙can control this. I think this was useful, Gigi told me.”

Aside from a long-awaited debut MotoGP victory, Zarco’s targets for the remainder of the season are to, ”fight for this top 5 in the championship aᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚn😼d fight for Pramac to keep first position in the teams’ classification. This is going to be the best season for Pramac.”

Franco Morbidelli is thought to be the favourite to take over Zarco’s Pramac place, alongside Jorge Martin🌟.