Johann Zarco, a rider with a "hell of a rating" within the biker community

For French motorcycling enthusiasts, it's "the" event of the season. The French Grand Prix at Le Mans is the only one of the 22 races on the MotoGP calendar to attract more than a hundred thousand spectators – in 2024, there were 119,145 on Sunday, a record. Each year, 1.5 million people also follow the Sunday race on television.

In this sea of ​​people, a good portion of the fans have their eyes set on a 34-year-old veteran: Johann Zarco, who has been among the elite drivers for nine seasons. To be convinced, just attend the traditional Saturday crowd bath in the Bugatti circuit fan zone. Invariably, the one nicknamed "Jojo" emerges victorious in the applause.

"I can't wait to see the crowds at the French Grand Prix again. You have to go there to see what it's like," said the Cannes native, a month before the 2025 edition, which takes place from May 9 to 11. His impatience is reinforced by the presence of his parents, who will see him race "for the first time in his seventeen-year career."

You have 81.84% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.