Former Red Bull Rookies Cup winner Johann Zarco made the jump into the 125cc World Championship in 2009, becoming runner-up to the title in 2011 with Aki Ajo’s team before transitioning to Moto2™. Over the next three years, he achieved six podiums in the intermediate class before moving back to partner Ajo in his Moto2™ team, winning the Championship in 2015 and becoming the first man to successfully defend the Moto2™ crown since its introduction in 2010 when he took the honours again in 2016.
The first Frenchman to win more than one World Championship, Zarco moved into MotoGP™ for 2017 and made an impressive debut with three podiums and two pole positions in his rookie year. He stayed with Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in 2018 and took more podiums, ending the season as top Independent Team rider. In 2019 he made the move to Red Bull KTM Factory Racing to become part of the Austrian factory's assault on the premier class. However, after an incredibly difficult opening half the season, Zarco decided to walk away from the orange brand less than halfway through his two-year deal. Then a free agent, he stepped in for Takaaki Nakagami at LCR Honda Idemitsu for the final three rounds of the season, before a move to Reale Avinita Racing opened up.
He represented Ducati and Esponsorama Racing with aplomb in 2020, securing a podium finish in the Czech GP, and was promoted to the Pramac Racing team for 2021. The Frenchman had a season of two halves with Pramac, starting in magnificent fashion. Back-to-back podiums in Qatar saw him lead the premier class standings for the first time, with further podiums at Le Mans and Catalunya. But arm pump woes in the second half of 2021 saw his title charge tail away, eventually finishing fifth in the standings. He remained with Pramac for 2022 but that elusive first victory still evaded him. Four rostrums and two poles last season means he was the rider with the most poles and the rider with the most podiums to never have taken a premier class win. That statistic finally changed in 2023 though. At Phillip Island, the back flip returned as Zarco won a phenomenal Australian GP to become a MotoGP™ winner. Now, a new challenge awaits in 2024 as the Frenchman moves to CASTROL Honda LCR.