We knew that Johann Zarco would be staying with LCR Honda for next season (despite a few desperate clickbaity stories that he was out), so today’s announcement from the LCR Honda team is not a surprise. What was more of a surprise was that Johann Zarco also signed on for 2027 as well, making him the only rider officially under contract for the 2027 season.
Implicit in that announcement is also that both Honda and the LCR Honda squad will be racing in MotoGP in 2027. Though not exactly earth shattering, it was not necessarily a given, as Dorna’s contracts with the teams and manufacturers expire after 2026, the end of the current five-year contract period.
As I wrote in the article covering the Zarco announcement, it makes a lot of sense for Honda to keep the Frenchman at LCR for 2027. It gives them a constant input in the development of their 850cc 2027 machine, both through 2026 and 2027, while also giving them a free hand to hire whoever they can tempt to the factory Honda squad. Having four new riders during the change of format would be a huge risk.
