After a positive Shakedown test at Sepang last week, 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Johann Zarco has revealed more details about the size of Honda’s progress with its heavily-revised 2024 MotoGP bike.

The Frenchman, switching to LCR after four seasons at Ducati, was third quickest out of 13 riders at the Shakedown🤪, just 0.2s from t🦂he KTM of Pedro Acosta.

“Always you are happy when the lap time is coming,” Zarco said on the eve of the Official Sep❀ang test, which starts on Tuesday.  “I didn't expect it, so that's why it's an even better feeling than I could expect.

“But clearly already the changes t💧he Honda did and what they brought in Valencia was quite interesting and this gave me very good hopes during the winter.

“Then I got confirmation of this during the tw♐o days I did of the Shakedown.

“I'm happy because it seems a good time now to do this job with Honda and ༒the way Honda brings the new things is helping a lot. That feels pretty good.”

The Frenchman, who finally broke his MotoGP victory drought ওat Phillip Island last year, admitted he had been braced for a tougher introduction to the RC213V, which finished last in the 2023 constructors' standings.

“I wanted to take this challenge knowing that, with the way I’ve grown up as a person, I can enjoy even in difficuღlt times and be a🐻ble to take something positive during a weekend or analyse all the situation.

“But fortunately, although I'm ready to do that, it seems that I can enjoy [without] having too many difficult times. So that's the𝓰 most positive at the moment from the Valencia test and the Shakedown.”

Zarco adde🔯d that the working relationship between LCR and Honda feel🌠s just as close as Pramac and Ducati.   

He also put a surprisingly large number to the size of improvemen𝄹t Honda had made between last year’s troubled machine and the initial Valencia 2024 prototype.

“At least 7 tenths! Which in Valencia is quite good,” Zarco smiled. “I did only two runs on the old [2023] bike - but that's why we mov🍒ed straight away to the new one.

“I have again big admiration for what Marc [Marquez] did [with the old 🐽bike] last 🎶year.”

Although LCR predecessor Alex Rins was Honda’s only race winner last year, Marquez was again consistently the top RCV rider, including a Motegi poꦅdium, before jumping ship to Gresin♊i Ducati.

Zarco confirmed🔴 that, like the factory Repsol Honda riders Joan Mir and Luca Marini, he now has one of the 2024 Valencia prototypes at Sepang plus anꦿother newer bike, thought to have a different engine spec.

“I got two🍒 different bike specs [here], yes,” he said. “It’s good to have the extra [shakedown] time for back-to-back tests… And we will always prefer whichever bike that is doing the [best] lap time!

“For me, the weak point I had on the Ducati was the way to brake or to slow down well ꦦthe bike,” he explained🐠. “Even if it could be a strong point of the bike, for me I could not really handle it well with my style.

“And on the Honda, at the moment, I can control well thℱౠis area and that's why I'm quite happy.”

The Official Sepang 🍃test takes place from February 6-8.