Johann Zarco will leave the Pramac Ducati squad at the end of the 2023 MotoGP campaign, the team announced on Sunday following the Austrian Grand Prix.
The Frenchman has been heavily linked with a switch to the satellite LCR Honda outfit in recent weeks as Ducati look towards the future with current VR46 Ducati man Marco Bezzecchi, the Italian marque keen to get him on the current-specification Desmosedici currently taken by Zarco.
Zarco has made no secret of his keenness to potentially move over to Honda to help the struggling manufacturer recover from its current freefall down the MotoGP pecking order, this move looking all but confirmed now as Pramac confirmed his exit from the outfit after three years shortly after he finished 13th in the Austrian GP at the Red Bull Ring.
The two-time Moto2 world champion insisted his “ultimate goal” is still to capture a maiden premier class victory with Ducati across his remaining ten races with the brand.
“I’ve spent four years with Ducati, three of them with the Pramac team, and I am very content with what we have built and achieved together,” said Zarco.
“At the end of this season, I will leave with a smile because the team and Ducati have given me so much, and together we have fought for truly significant accomplishments.
“Next year, I will face a new challenge, but for now, I want to conclude this championship with my team in the best way possible. I thank my entire team, Ducati, and all the people who have worked alongside me during these years we spent together.
“The ultimate goal remains to stand atop the podium and proudly sing the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, together with Paolo Campinoti, whom I sincerely thank for all the support he has given me since day one.”
Zarco currently sits fifth in the riders standings at the mid-point of the ’23 term having accrued a total of four podium finishes so far, with a best result of second coming in the second event of the year in Argentina.
Francesco Bagnaia currently leads the championship on an identical bike 126 points clear of Zarco, while the Frenchman’s Pramac team-mate Jorge Martin sits 64 points clear of him.
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