Johann Zarco has been retained for the 2018 MotoGP season by Tech3 Yamaha, the team has announced.
The French rider has had an impressive start to his rookie MotoGP season and is sixth in the championship after four rounds.
After crashing out of the lead on his debut in Qatar, Zarco bounced back with fifth place in Argentina and America before finishing fourth at Jerez.
The 26-year-old has now secured a ride for his second season in MotoGP, remaining with the Tech3 outfit.
“I am very happy to know that I will continue my MotoGP experience with Tech3 in 2018,” he said.
“At the moment, I am enjoying an amazing debut in this category where I have learned a huge amount, and the team have now given me the confidence for next year, which is just fantastic.
“I am very happy but this is only the beginning and I will keep learning and growing so that I can regularly fight for podiums, and then once I am at this level, I plan to continue in this way for as long as possible.
“In 2018, the rules won’t change and I will have an entire year of experience so this will certainly help me to get to the top.”
