Overview

• Factory Honda retains an unchanged 2026 pairing, keeping Luca Marini alongside Joan Mir on the works RC213V.
• Johann Zarco signs a two-year extension to remain at LCR Honda through 2027 with factory rider status and works machinery.
• Marini’s extension follows an improved 2025 that included fourth in the sprint and fifth in the grand prix at Hungary after returning from injuries sustained in a Suzuka 8 Hours test crash.
• HRC’s Taichi Honda cites Marini’s analytical feedback as key to development, while LCR boss Lucio Cecchinello calls Zarco’s role crucial to Honda’s progress.
• The second LCR seat for 2026 remains unannounced, with reports linking Moto2 frontrunner Diogo Moreira, as the wider 2026 grid nears completion.