Following his regularly impressive performances, Johann Zarco now faces increasing journalistic demands. The same goes for Hervé Poncharal, his Team manager, and, as a result, we preferred to speak with him immediately after his return to France, at greater length than in the middle of a forest of microphones. With time and some perspective...
Hervé, was this tour across the Atlantic tiring?
“Yes, we are tired. The night from Sunday to Monday was short, in the morning we flew Austin-Detroit where we stayed five hours, then we did Detroit-Paris, and 3 hours of waiting in Paris before taking the plane back to Nice and drive two hours to get to Bormes. So yes, it's obviously tiring but we came back from this beautiful tour satisfied because it was positive. We were leading the first Grand Prix before crashing, then fifth in Argentina, then fifth again in Austin, but this time just two seconds off the podium. So this start to the championship is far from unpleasant.
I was very surprised and amazed by Johann. Before the first Grand Prix, in Qatar, he told me that he couldn't do what Jonas was doing, because the latter was getting used to MotoGP faster than him. However, since the championship began, we have seen that things have radically reversed and that Johann explodes and does sublime things, there are no words strong enough to say what he does, while Jonas does its job correctly. There is nothing to say since he scores 10, 6 and 11, but did not have the same positive shock as Johann. It's more complicated and that's what those around him who had worked with him in previous seasons told me. »
This actually seems an important trigger because, last year, Johann had a bit the same behavior as Jonas this year: very often, he did not get excellent starts and lost a few places during the first lap before, when it was possible, to begin a solid recovery…
" Yes. You would have to ask him directly but here is my analysis. Last year, he didn't want to make a mistake and it's very easy to make a mistake on the first lap in Moto2. He knew in his head that, in any case, he could play for victory on almost all circuits because he was still the reigning champion and he knew the level of his opponents. So he could afford to say to himself “I leave correctly then I look and study”. Several times, I told you that he had sublime races, notably in Barcelona and Austria, with the first half of the race in the package, to watch, then to deliver the blow after having studied well.
It's true that in MotoGP, what he tells us is that he absolutely wants to try to go in the right car to learn. Because he says that it is by riding with Rossi, Vinales, Marquez and Pedrosa that he can learn. It's by fighting with the top guns that you become one. »
Okay, but that means that, paradoxically, he is less cautious this year when arriving in MotoGP than during his second Moto2 title…
" Yes yes. But last year, and again this is always my analysis, he made a big bet, because a lot of people could have said “you see, we told you not to try to double your title, you should have moved to MotoGP”. So he certainly still had a lot of pressure. At the moment, what he's telling me is that he's not here to win the title and therefore has less pressure. Of course, there is still one, but he can afford more things and that's why he still digested Qatar relatively well. OK, he didn't bring home any points, but he's not here to win the title. And maybe he's also someone different in his head, and that you'd have to ask him directly. »
In any case, when we see and hear him, he actually appears much more fulfilled...
" Yes Yes Yes. And you saw how he speaks to the media, how he offers himself to the public and lends himself to their requests. Very often, we were at a restaurant in the evening and people passed by saying “Ah, Johann! ». And while he is eating, he gets up and stands next to people to take a selfie. He is different, more talkative, more smiling and seems happy.
And beyond that, it has often been said that he got there because he was a hard worker but that he was not necessarily the most talented. So, I can tell you: this guy is gifted! It's clear ! And besides, the entire paddock is under the spell and it’s love at first sight. Even the Italians who are still very chauvinistic and only talk about their pilots come to sing their praises to us. And the Spanish too, just like the people of Dorna and in general, the whole paddock. Everyone congratulates him all the time and it’s really love at first sight for the entire MotoGP paddock. Even among journalists, who always have their little favorites, it is unanimous. I have not once had a journalist tell me
“Zarco?” Ugh…”.
So there is a real Zarco effect outside of France?
" Oh yes ! In Argentina, and even in Austin, there is a real Zarcomania. This was visible every time we went to the commercial part of the paddock, where there are all the stands selling clothing or accessories. This is not a solely Franco-French phenomenon, that is clear. And we have the impression that he is happy about it, that he enjoys it. It doesn't bother him. »
What can you say to those who say that in France, as soon as we have a promising driver, we take him to the pinnacle without letting him mature?
“Look, that’s definitely part of what a great champion is too. At a given moment, when you perform, notoriety, requests, expectations, pressure arrive. And the greats, whatever sport they play in, use this as a driving force while it is too much for others, and it makes them make mistakes. So, we'll have to see, but the big advantage he has is that he's a normal person. Not on the track, eh (laughs), but in life, he's not the bling-bling guy, he's not the guy who wants to impress, he's not the guy who wants to change his life and who is going to buy super expensive cars and all that stuff. He is happy to return home, with his environment, with the people who made him, with the people with whom he is comfortable. He has simple pleasures and that's what makes him happy. Today, I don't see anything changing about all that. And when you're able to stay who you've always been, and that's what got you where you got to, you worry less about what's going to happen.
In Austin, after the race, I was super happy. He had a magnificent race. In my opinion, it is the best because even if he had the same result as in Argentina, there were much fewer falls in front of him, and above all, in terms of time, he is much closer to second. He did half the race in Rossi's wheel. So yes, it's the best performance he's ever done and we were over the moon, and despite the incident with Rossi which caused a lot more noise than it deserved, only because it was Rossi, Johann remained very zen.
Because at one point, the media only came to talk to him about that, about what he had done, about what Rossi had said at a press conference, etc. He could have gotten angry or sent them away, but no, he remained very calm and explained patiently and on numerous occasions that he had done what he had to do. We feel that he is good. For the moment, there is not much that disturbs him and, in any case, even if he opens like a beautiful flower, he does not change his nature. »
Let’s talk a little about the last race…
“So contrary to what some people said, Johann started with a medium rear tire. He didn't get off to a very good start and then did a crazy first ride, which also made Crutchlow add to the old people's lament (laughs). Afterwards, at the start of the race, he was faster than Rossi and caught up with him. Besides, he had the fastest lap before Márquez accelerated and, I believe, he maintains the third best time of the race. Johann was really good throughout the first half of the race and then, during the second half, he told us that he had discovered things previously unknown. In the first part of the race, he was a little faster than Rossi, however, at one point he said “Valentino's advantage is that when the bike has lost weight, when the rear tire has lost grip, he adapts, he changes his riding and continues lap after lap to be as consistent. Whereas for me, at each lap, I always made one or two small mistakes due to inexperience. And that's how I lost contact a little, I got a little tired, and at the end I had a little less grip than Crutchlow.
And very intelligently, he did not try to resist or hold on at all costs. He knew he was almost five seconds ahead of the next guy so he took the bike home.
13 or 11 points, that doesn't change much and, in any case, he was very happy to have been able to keep up with the leaders at the start of the race, and is also very happy to have experienced this second part of the race as fast as it was and where he learned lots and lots of things. »
It’s true that when we look at the Rossi curve, it is regularly incredibly regular…
“That’s what Johann said. It's impressive when you follow it. You see that the guy knows his bike by heart, he knows and almost anticipates how the tires will deteriorate, how the bike will behave with less and less fuel. He knows MotoGP by heart, he knows his bike by heart and he is a very, very intelligent guy. So Johann said he learned a lot and, in a way, that's what pisses us off a bit. Rossi is truly Johann's idol. You remember, you talked about it with him: he was very moved when he was finally able to ride with Rossi. First in Valencia but especially at the Sepang test. And then, in Austin, there was this incident that everyone made a big deal of, and I think that, still, somewhere, it probably bothered him a little. Because it was Rossi. »
Maybe, but let's be honest: the whole press was very excited about this incident, including us, because Rossi made his statement at a press conference, but in the end, there was nothing!
“Of course nothing happened. But if it hadn't been with Valentino Rossi, no one would have talked about it. I didn't tell anyone about it, neither to Johann, nor to my team and even less to the media, but, at the time, it really irritated me. Today, I take a step back and am obviously corporate, but I still find it a bit of a shame. This whole start of controversy only took place because it was number 46. Aren't we in Moto2? What does that mean ? We would like MotoGP to be as lively as Moto2, and in fact it is at times. Marquez said it, the clash with Vinales has not yet happened but it will happen. That's what everyone likes to see. We, the independent teams, already have riders who have less fuel, we have bikes which have slightly different specs and we have budgets which have nothing to do with each other. So it's a bit complicated for us, because when we perform averagely, we have comments, even if they are disguised, indirect and politically correct, that we are not moving forward. And if, from time to time, you arrive in a situation as dreamlike as what happened on Sunday, you are almost reproached for it by making you understand that it is very risky to try to overcome the bruises at the risk of making them to fall… "
Was this clearly stated?
Silence…
(Laughs) Let's change the subject. Why does Cal Crutchlow focus negatively on your drivers?
“Indeed, since the start of the year, he has criticized the Tech3 drivers. Even though it's not said like that, when you listen to what he says, it boils down to “the Honda is a piece of shit and we are the best drivers”. But in Austin, the Honda does one, three and four. So you have to explain to me…”
Concerning the participation of your drivers in the Suzuka 8 Hours, it's definitely not?
" Quite. The two riders, Johann Zarco and Jonas Folger, want to focus exclusively on their rookie MotoGP season this year. Learn, learn, learn. They don't want to spread themselves too thin, take risks and get tired. I understand them completely and it suits me very well. »
Last question, what measures are you going to take to deal with Zarcomania at Le Mans?
“(laughs). Johann, I saw him arrive in Texas a little tired. Besides, the first evening, he wasn't very well and the mobile clinic took good care of him. He had an early dinner and was in bed by nine. It's difficult for a young rookie driver to have to manage everything there is to manage. So I am completely aware that we will have to make sure that we let him work and that we protect him. How ? It's difficult to say because it's important that there is a good balance. I am also completely aware that all the people who support him in coming to see him should not be avoided. In addition, Johann wants to keep this link with the public and his supporters.
So we're going to talk about it with everyone involved, starting with Johann himself, Laurent Fellon, Claude Michy, the sponsors, and I think we're going to find a good balance to be able to satisfy the public and his fans while allowing Johann to concentrate on his work to be able to perform. Because, in the end, that's what everyone wants to happen. »
