Zarco: Early KTM split "ripped my heart out"
Ousted KTM MotoGP rider Johann Zarco says his “heart was ripped out” by the Austrian manufacturer’s decision to drop him with immediate effect this week.


Six-time MotoGP podium finisher Zarco was already on his way out of KTM, after he requested to have his two-year deal with the team terminated last month amid a woeful debut campaign aboard the RC16.
Enjoying his strongest weekend of the year with an eighth-place in qualifying and 11th in the San Marino Grand Prix, KTM made the shock announcement it would be dropping him from its line-up in favour of test rider Mika Kallio with six races remaining.
Read Also:
Speaking to Canal+ for the first time since the announcement, Zarco says KTM “cut me off a little bit” with its decision and admits he was “shocked” at first.
“I found out on Tuesday,” Zarco said at Aragon asked when he was made aware of KTM’s decision. “Now I'm in the paddock, I have things to get back. I'm not going to stay until the race, I'm going home early to train.
“It feels weird. 10 years of grand prix [racing] and now I was told, 'No, you don't finish the season' – even though I decided during the summer not to do next year with KTM.
“I tried to anticipate to give myself a chance to bounce back, but they cut me off a little bit.
“Not finishing is weird, something was ripped out of my stomach a little bit, my heart was ripped out, I don't know… It's not easy to digest.
“I was a little shocked at first, and when the days go by, it's like everything else, you accept it better and move on."
Zarco’s options for next year are limited, with virtually all MotoGP seats and top Moto2 seats – where he was a champion in 2015 and ’16 – gone.
He has expressed a desire to take on a role as a test rider in the premier class, and has been linked to a return to Yamaha at its European test team in place of former Tech 3 teammate Jonas Folger.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, KTM stated “developments and on-going work mean that priorities have been aligned”, suggesting this decision was taken to stop Zarco from taking any secrets with him.
When asked about his future plans, he replied: “A lot of options, maybe not, but I give the priority to MotoGP. I am currently in good shape to ride fast in MotoGP and I have to use that [in this] moment.
“I am in a MotoGP period and I want to do everything I can to be here and fight at the top. I'm dreaming about this, so right now I'm chasing after these dreams."
Read Also:

Morbidelli: Quartararo is trying to "scare" rivals
Marquez warns Misano Moto2 ruling sets bad precedent

Latest news
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
The MotoGP rookie fighting two fronts in his debut year
Darryn Binder has found himself in the unenviable position as MotoGP's most under-pressure rookie in 2022 having made the step directly from Moto3 with a reputation as an over-aggressive rider. This hasn't been an easy thing to shake at the start of the season, but he believes tangible progress is being made
How ‘Beast’ mode is putting Ducati in 2022 MotoGP title contention
Enea Bastianini’s second win of the 2022 campaign at COTA puts him back in the lead of the standings and once again showed the best Ducati package is still the 2021 bike. Those closest to Bastianini tell Motorsport.com why he’s so good on the GP21 relative to his factory counterparts.
How Espargaro helped Aprilia shed MotoGP's underdog tag
Aleix Espargaro became MotoGP's newest winner in a thrilling Argentina Grand Prix in which he also proved the merits of the Aprilia project. After six years of hard graft, both parties have reaped the rewards they have long thought they deserved. But it was several key moments in that journey that led both to that momentous Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo.