La parade pilots MotoGP has managed to carve out its place in the weekend program by becoming a tradition that satisfies both the spectators present, today at the Ricardo Tormo circuit for the Valencia Grand Prix, and also the drivers for whom it is the only time when they can communicate all together without stakes.
Initially met with reluctance as a constraint by those most skeptical of its implementation in the Grand Prix weekend format at the start of the 2023 season, it has now been adopted with a certain degree of goodwill, at least when the weather is favorable, as is the case this Sunday in Valencia despite a still cool temperature…
It also allows us to judge the reception that spectators give to each driver, sometimes contrasting in Italy, much warmer on the Spanish circuit…
Since the vehicles transporting the champions have become largely standardized since their arrival, at least in Europe, there are no longer any real surprises there, but this animation often allows for gathering the drivers' final comments before the Grand Prix, this time via Pol Espargaro...
We generally report here the words of the French pilots. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Johann zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR).
🎤 Fabio, we're back in Valencia, you participated in the Spanish championship, you competed in many races here, you feel quite comfortable here, and this morning it went rather well [He finished first in the Warm-Up[Editor's note].
Fabio Quartararo: “Yes, this morning was excellent. We know we’ll have completely different conditions [this afternoon] but I feel very good. We’re going to try to give our best for the final stretch with the last race.”
🎤 Are you also looking forward to 2026?
“Of course, we have to give our best for 2026, we have two days of testing. I have to say one thing: this guy [pointing to Pol Espargaró] is a legend. He's a test rider, he qualifies well, he races well, he's elegant, he's the best.”
🎤 Thank you Fabio [laughs]. Thank you for those words. Thank you very much.
🎤 Johann, we've arrived in Valencia for the last race of the season. How are you feeling? It's a shame the year is ending, but it's been a very long year. It seems you and Honda have found some good speed at the end of this season.
John Zarco: “We made good progress in September and October, but even with good progress, we’re happy to finish the season [laughs] because 22 Grands Prix is a long time, and you can feel that the body and mind are a bit tired. We try to recharge every week, but after Friday and Saturday, sometimes we feel tired. But this is the final push. We can fight for the top 10, which is always a good objective because when we started the project with Honda last year we were very far behind, so we’re getting closer, and I think that with this end to the season we can prepare well for 2026. Hopefully, we can fight for more podiums.”
