From menace to cherished veteran – A MotoGP reputation transformed

It’s not that long ago that Johann Zarco was regularly cited by many of his MotoGP peers as one of the most dangerous racers on the grid thanks to the aggressive and sometimes uncaring style that the double Moto2 world champion brought to the premier class. But, now the grid’s oldest rider at 35, a combination of time and acceptance has somehow rehabilitated the Frenchman into someone that his rivals are instead seemingly a little in awe of, as he uses his abilities to stick the satellite LCR Honda into places it has no right to be – as he demonstrated most recently in the Spanish Grand Prix.From his early days in the premier class on the Tech3 Yamaha, Zarco built himself something of an unfair reputation …