ZARCO SAYS QATAR GP IS SET TO GO AHEAD, BUT HONDA WILL PREPARE FOR A CANCELLATION

Johann Zarco arrived in Malaysia looking ahead rather than dwelling on a frustrating Australian Grand Prix. At Phillip Island, the Frenchman qualified third in a rain-affected Q2, but technical trouble forced him to retire from the sprint. The main race was then cancelled because of unsafe weather. Zarco said the packed MotoGP calendar left little time to dwell on the setback: “I try to take the best from every situation,” he explained, adding that the cancellation had allowed him to save energy and reach Malaysia feeling fresh.

Rain is also possible at Sepang, but Zarco sees a wet race as an opportunity. He hopes conditions stay dry, yet said rain tyres would give him a better chance of a strong result. A late-season performance, he added, would be valuable for Honda. Dry running would also help the team build knowledge for next season. Zarco is among the riders expected to remain with the same team for 2026, when Honda will introduce its 850cc machine and David Alonso will become his garage neighbour.

The veteran also addressed concerns about the Qatar Grand Prix, scheduled immediately after the Malaysian round. While several riders had avoided commenting, Zarco said Qatar’s government had confirmed that conditions were normal and the event could go ahead. “We have to trust those statements,” he said, arguing that authorities would cancel the race if they believed there was a genuine risk. The team, he added, should prepare for the possibility of a cancellation, but contracts were in place and there was no official reason to oppose the event. He acknowledged that worries about travelling so close to a conflict zone were understandable.

Honda had some encouraging news in Malaysia: Joan Mir and Luca Marini were both back after recovering from injury, restoring the manufacturer’s full-time rider line-up for the first time since the Misano Grand Prix. Mir had finished third in Malaysia in 2025, while Zarco’s only points there came in the sprint, where he placed eighth.