Johann Zarco has reportedly opened up about his future in the MotoGP World Championship, confirming his collaboration with Ducati for the 2020 season.
Zarco, who has recently been announced as the highest crasher in the 2019 season, has been linked with the Avintia Ducati team since Alex Marquez stepped up to the Repsol Honda on the eve of the opening 2020 MotoGP test.
Rumours started around the paddock but the double Moto2 World Champion was quick to brush off rumours stating that he would rather return to Moto2 than ride for Avintia, a non-competitive team.
However, Zarco was spotted leaving the Ducati truck, hours after Luigi Dall’Igna confirmed that the Avintia Ducati team would become a Satelite team from 2020 onwards, following a meeting with Dall’igna and Paolo Ciabatti.
The rumour of the Frenchman joining the Ducati team gathered more momentum when Karel Abraham announced that he would no longer be a MotoGP racer, apparently following an email from Ruben Xaus.
Speaking to French publication Moto Journal, Zarco has confirmed his future with Avintia Ducati but insists that he is a Factory contracted rider, with the aim of joining the Factory team in 2021.
“It’s a fact that Luigi Dall’Igna told me that I could trust him in deciding to sign for Avintia next year,” Zarco said, “As I still doubted the skills of the Avintia team, I went to see my former head mechanic Massimo Branchini.
“Besides, I do not consider that I signed with Avintia, but with Ducati, My goal for 2020 is to not finish beyond 10th spot, see the top seven and integrate into the official team in 2021.”
It is thought that the Avintia Ducati team will announce Johann Zarco in the coming days.
