Johann Zarco gave Honda fans something to cheer for, as he delivered his strongest MotoGP performance with the LCR team. Racing under the floodlights at Lusail, Zarco finished the race in fifth place, but luckily for him, the post-race penalty for Maverick Viñales moved him up to fourth place.

This result marks Honda’s best result since Marc Márquez genuinely, and now it is a big step forward for both Zarco and Honda.

Zarco started seventh on the grid and had an incredible start to the race. He managed to stick with the front pack early on. From lap 12 through lap 19, he was battling with Franco Morbidelli and was even in third place for a while. Yet, Morbidelli got back ahead of him with just a few laps to go.

“Being in the podium fight, feeling that speed again—it’s just amazing,” Zarco said to MotoGP.com. “I kept a really strong pace, and that’s what I race for. I love this feeling!” 

But the collision between Alex Márquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio also played in Zarco’s hands, as it cleared the way for him and he could focus on the front runners.

Zarco used the slipstream from the faster bikes to hide Honda’s disadvantage on straight-line speed. “If I stayed close to the leaders into the last corner, the slipstream gave me two tenths a lap,” he explained to MotoGP.com. “It made a big difference. But even when I was on my own, we’re improving. The bike feels like it’s mine now—I’m adapting better every weekend.”

Yet the final laps were intense for him. As Morbidelli retook his position, Zarco suddenly had Fabio Quartararo and Fermín Aldeguer closing in on him. “The hardest part was sticking with Pecco [Bagnaia] while feeling pressure from behind,” Zarco admitted to MotoGP.com. “When Morbidelli passed me again, I saw Aldeguer was coming fast. I just pushed as hard as I could to hold onto it. In the end, fifth became fourth!”

And even though Zarco had some small vibration issues, he managed to ride around them. “It was under control,” he said to MotoGP.com. “I changed my riding style a bit to handle it. What really matters is that we’re gaining speed and confidence.”

So now that the calendar heads into Europe again, Zarco is feeling positive about Jerez. “We’re moving forward, step by step. The progress is real—and that’s the most important thing.” He told to  MotoGP.com.