following a difficult 2019 season when he rode a works ktm for only the first half before the factory pulled him out, zarco was offered a honda for the last three races of the 2019 season due to regular rider takaaki nakagami electing to have surgery with an expected long recuperation period. he finished the first event in 13th place, and was knocked off by joan mir nearing the end of the second event when in 8th place. zarco fell during his third race on the honda when in 10th position at valencia, spain, being hit when walking away by a following machine, without serious injury.