No need to hide it, Johann Zarco is no longer dominant since the start of pre-season testing. And it was not during the first qualifying practice sessions for this Qatar Grand Prix either.
The reigning World Champion, who had an incredible season last year, must indeed be content with 3rd, 4th and 6th positions in the session, and 7th place overall. Very honorable results, certainly, but not domination.
This worries the fans a little, but much less for the person concerned, even if he recognizes that he is currently suffering from a slight deficit to get the last tenths on a fast lap with new tires.
In racing, with worn tires, however, it could be a different story...
Johann Zarco, 7th overall, 1:59.682 +0.420: “the free practice session went well today, better than yesterday. The position in the standings is worse, although my time is better, which is important. I now have to improve my driving with new tires, with which I am not lowering my times as I would like.
On the other hand, it is very positive to see how fast I am with the worn tires. I have to manage this to have a good qualifying session and get a place on the front row, so that I can have a good first part of the race.
Overall, it was a positive day, with further progress in our times and consistency. I still need to understand the bike a little better because it offers very good potential, but I'm not yet getting the best out of it. »
