Johann
Zarco
France
·
MotoGP
Date of birth | 16 July 1990 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Cannes |
Age | 36 |
Nationality | France |
Career start | 2007 |
Disciplines | MotoGP |
Johann Zarco was born in Cannes, France, but it was over the border in Italy where he first made a name for himself in minimoto racing, or 'pocket-bike' as the French like to call it.
Early career success
In 2007 he took part in the inaugural Red Bull Rookies Cup and won the championship with four race victories and 159 points over the season, a full 57 points ahead of second-placed rider Lorenzo Savadori. For 2008 he became part of the Red Bull MotoGP Academy.
In 2009, Johann took his first steps in full grand prix racing in the old 125cc category, where he took part until 2011, grabbing a first win for Ajo Motorsport in Japan during that final season.
For 2012 Johann stepped up to the Moto2™ class with JiR and finished the season as the best rookie. From then on it was a natural progression towards becoming the class of the field, with two podiums in 2013 for IodaRacingProject and four in 2014 for Caterham on a Suter bike that wasn't considered a frontrunner.
Moto2™ glory
2015 and 2016 were almost unqualified successes on Johann's return to Ajo Motorsport, with eight wins in 2015 and seven in 2016 to secure back-to-back world titles and cement his place as one of the greats of the intermediate classes.
Stepping up to MotoGP™
Unsurprisingly, a move to the premier class beckoned, and Tech3 Yamaha came calling for 2017. Despite crashing out of a shock lead in his very first MotoGP™ race in Qatar, the signs were there and Johann went on to take poles at Assen and Motegi, and podiums at Le Mans, Sepang, and Valencia.
He finished in sixth overall in 2017, as top rookie and the highest-placed independent rider. Three podiums and two more pole positions followed in 2018, where he once again finished sixth in the MotoGP™ standings.
In November 2018 came the news that Johann would switch to the Red Bull KTM MotoGP team for 2019, but after a tough debut season rider and team parted ways.
In 2020, Johann pressed the reset button on his MotoGP™ career with a ride for the Ducati-backed Reale Avintia Racing Team, scoring a number of top five finishes, which has earned him a ride on the factory-backed Pramac Ducati squad for the 2021 season. It turned out to be a successful move for Johann as he secured a number of podium finishes, eventually ending the season in fifth place overall.
Johann remained with Pramac Ducati for the 2022 campaign and showed remarkable consistency as he finished 10th or better in 13 races, including four visits to the podium.
A first-ever MotoGP™ victory
That good form carried into the 2023 season as Johann finished on the podium on five occasions before securing his first ever MotoGP™ victory at the Australian Grand Prix. This helped him to finish fifth overall in the championship standings.
Johann made the switch to race for the LCR Honda outfit in 2024 but struggled to make an impact with his new team as he finished 17th overall. In 2025, he secured his first victory for his new team in Le Mans and followed it up with a second-place finish at Silverstone. Those would prove to be the highlights as he ended the campaign in 12th position overall.
A decade at the highest level
Now preparing for his 10th season in MotoGP™, Johann will look to secure more podium finishes as he attempts to launch a title challenge.
Johann Zarco has spent a decade racing at the very highest level
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Taking a well-deserved rest during qualifying
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Celebrating pole position with his team
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool
Zarco won his maiden MotoGP™ race in Australia in 2023
© Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool