MotoGP: Johann Zarco joins Avintia Ducati

Johann Zarco has finally confirmed that he will ride for the Reale Avintia team in replacement of Karel Abraham in MotoGP.

The news breaks after the first two official 2020 pre-season tests held at Valencia and Jerez, where French rider Johann Zarco was not in attendance following his crash at Valencia a few weeks before.

Zarco was a strong candidate to replace the retiring Jorge Lorenzo in the Repsol Honda team, but Zarco’s hopes were crushed when HRC announced that it would be the younger Marquez brother who would fill the vacant seat.

Johann Zarco started the 2019 season with the Red Bull Factory KTM team, following two strong years with Tech 3 Yamaha, but decided after the San Marino Grand Prix that he couldn’t see a future with the Austrian manufacturer and opted to part ways with the team ahead of the Aragon Grand Prix.

Zarco was then handed a life-line, replacing Japanese rider Takaaki Nakagami, who pulled out of the remainder of the season to have surgery on his shoulder, that he injured after an incident Valentino Rossi at Assen.

The Frenchman joined the LCR Honda Idemitsu team from Phillip Island, making his debut at the cold and windy Australian Grand Prix. He impressed on his debut, finishing in the points with an impressive 13th place.

The remaining two Grand Prix’s never went to plan for Zarco, being taken out of the Malaysian Grand Prix by an Joan Mir, and then crashing on his own accord at turn 6 in Valencia.

Since then, Zarco has been at the centre of attention in the MotoGP paddock, raising questions of whether he’d join the Reale Avintia team, or return to Moto2, where he has enjoyed previous success, winning two World titles.

On the Monday after the final MotoGP round, Ducati boss’ Paolo Ciabatti and Luigi Dall’Igna held a meeting with Zarco to discuss their 2020 plans.

It has now been announced that Zarco will replace Czech rider Karel Abraham, who announced his retirement ahead of the Jerez test. The Frenchman will join the Reale Avintia team alongside Tito Rabat and will ride a GP19 with Factory support.