Johann Zarco is about to start his third season with the LCR Honda team – rookie Diogo Moreira’s bike gets a fresh new design with a new main sponsor
Lucio Cecchinello’s team has been an integral part of MotoGP since 2006. Cal Crutchlow secured the team’s first three victories. Alex Rins added another. Last year, Johann Zarco celebrated a triumphant home victory in front of his French fans at Le Mans. The two-time Moto2 world champion is about to start his tenth season in the premier class. It will be his third for the LCR team. There are no significant changes in Zarco’s pit. As usual, Castrol is the main sponsor of his Honda. Crew chief David Garcia remains at his side. After winning the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours for Honda for the second time in a row last year, his contract was extended. Zarco is now set to receive even more technical support and will be practically on a par with the factory riders.
His new contract runs until 2027. This means that Zarco is set to be with Honda for the start of the new era with 850cc engines. The team is relying on his experience, as Zarco is currently the oldest rider in the MotoGP field at 35 years of age.
“The goal is to continue dreaming of victories,” said Zarco at the team presentation. “I had a magical victory last year, which I honestly didn’t expect with the Honda project.”
“Now, with so many years of experience, I know that the dream is, of course, the world championship title. But I don’t know if that’s still feasible. So, at the very least, it’s about taking advantage of podium opportunities.” After the shakedown test, Zarco sees this as a realistic goal.
“I’m very happy with the performance of the new Honda. The feedback from the other riders is also really positive. Aleix Espargaro was very fast, but Diogo is also adapting really well, and you can see it in the lap times – the bike is fast, the times are fast. That gives us high hopes for the 2026 season.”
New colors for rookie Diogo Moreira
On the other side of the LCR garage, there have been some changes. After Somkiat Chantra had a difficult debut season, Honda moved away from its philosophy of filling this seat with a young Asian rider.
Japanese energy company Idemitsu is also no longer part of the project. That’s why the second LCR Honda is sporting new colors. Pro Honda now determines the design. This is a product line for motorcycle oils developed by Honda.
The world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer is giving Diogo Moreira a chance in the premier class. The reigning Moto2 world champion will also be given time to develop. He has been given a two-year contract with an option for a third year (2028).
Moreira’s crew is managed by Klaus Nöhles. The former racing driver is currently the only German crew chief in MotoGP. Moreira is the first Brazilian in the premier class since Alex Barros.
Moreira took part in the shakedown test in Sepang over the past few days. The Brazilian improved steadily and achieved his personal best time on the last day during a qualifying attempt. He was 1.1 seconds behind test rider Aleix Espargaro.
“I learned a lot and tried different setups lap after lap,” Moreira reports from the shakedown. “On the last day, we focused on a time attack in the morning and found a good speed.”
After the three days, however, the 21-year-old is clear: “I still need to understand more details and continue to work on myself. I can’t wait for testing to start next week.“ Team boss Cecchinello is convinced that Moreira has great potential. ”We are quite impressed with his riding style. So far, we really like how he is constantly improving,“ praises the former racer. ”Of course, he will need some time to understand how to ride a MotoGP machine like the top riders.”
“But I’m convinced that he has the talent and potential to do so. We’re sure to see him at the front soon. We’re really excited because working with a rookie like Diogo is something special. Everyone knows that he has great talent and enormous potential.”
What does Cecchinello consider a realistic goal for Moreira this season? “The first goal is, of course, to become Rookie of the Year – that’s clear. Then I believe that Diogo has the potential to finish in the top 10 in several races. And if we can continue to improve in the second half of the season, I think we can do even better.”
