Johann Zarco admits Ducati wanted "me in WorldSBK"

After four years with Ducati, Zarco and LCR Honda came to an agreement on a two-year deal during the Austrian MotoGP. 

Zarco’s name, prior to leaving Ducati, had popped up in the WorldSBK paddock as the Italian manufacturer and Yamaha had been linked with the French rider.

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But Zarco’s intention has always been to remain in MotoGP as long as he’s competitive, which is why a switch to Superbikes was never on the cards.

In terms of his future, Zarco decided to leave Ducati who undoubtedly have the strongest package on the grid for Honda, who has the worst.

A puzzling decision from Zarco who could have stayed at Pramac and been aboard full factory machinery again in 2024, however, it’s one that has turned into being a huge coup for Honda, who still have the likes of Marc Marquez and Joan Mir in their line-up for 2024. 

For Honda to turn their current woes around, having someone like Zarco could be a big benefit given his experience and development prowess.

Zarco was valued highly by Ducati, who not only wanted to keep him in their line-up going forward, but also saw him as an option for WorldSBK further down the line.

Zarco admitted this when speaking to Speedweek, saying: "Ducati wanted me in the Superbike World Championship in the future, but as long as I'm competitive in MotoGP, I don't like this idea."