On the occasion of this Grand Prix of the Americas, we are perpetuating our habit of referring to you in full the words of Johann Zarco, in a raw way, therefore without any journalistic formatting or distortion.
Alongside the sometimes slightly formatted communication of traditional press releases, the exchanges between the French rider and the journalists in the hospitality of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team are of a richness and simplicity that true enthusiasts will appreciate (you can find all his past debriefings in our section “Interviews").
There is always the little detail that immerses us more every day in the world of MotoGP…
Johann Zarco (who will finally start 3rd following the penalty inflicted on Marc Marquez) : " I am happy. I had much better sensations, and as soon as the sensations are better, the performance is there. Also happy to have done this session in the morning when it was still dry and to have improved: it was a good sign! And that put us on a good path to continue to progress. On the first tire, I was almost surprised by the time, 2'04.8, and finally, with the 2nd tire which is normally a little more efficient, it worked. Afterwards, to do better, for the moment I couldn't, but given that we come from far away, we have to be satisfied with that. Being competitive is important, and it's a chance to start 4th to put yourself in the right group and, from the outset, overtake and fight. It's not a doubt, but ultimately we don't yet know what the pace will be and how I could maintain it, but given that the sensations are already good and that I feel that I have the bike under control, normally I have to be able to manage the race from start to finish.
“Jo is back”, and that’s important (laughs)! As I said, it's a difficult track and I would have liked to be faster in my pace on Friday. I think we were unlucky because of the problems that can arise when you do this kind of sport. But today we were finally lucky to have dry conditions and to be able to push a lot to get back into the top 10. It gave me a good state of mind, in the sense that if I feel good I can be quick, even here. Then, in qualifying, the job was done. I missed the first line for almost nothing, but that means I'm here. It's really good ".
Do you think you can fight for the podium?
“It would be nice and I will take the slightest opportunity to fight to be there! Racing can be tough for everyone and there may not be that many guys who know if they can keep the pace from start to finish. So knowing the way I drive and the way I can use the tire, maybe I will have a chance to get a great place on the podium tomorrow.”
Are you going to race on soft tires?
“For me, the soft tire is not a good solution. It provides a less good sensation than the medium. To go fast, I used the medium, and logically, it can also be good for running. So for the moment, we are in medium/medium.”
You've been fighting in the lead for at least 3 races, Qatar Argentina and here. Does it make a big difference mentally?
“It brings more satisfaction because it’s exactly where you want to be.” So I have a lot of satisfaction since Japan and even Australia last year. And because it’s good to live like that, I try to be in the lead and stay there.”
When you fight against Márquez and Rossi, who have two very different styles, do you adapt your attacks to your opponent?
" Yes ! I understood this last year, but I continue to learn from it. It's a tough category with strong drivers, and you really have to be strong yourself to analyze everything. I'm progressing every day and I'm happy with it. I know that by giving my best, the victories will come.”
Do you have a deadline for your decision for next year?
“I don’t have a deadline. I continue to enjoy what I do now, and having this level of performance helps me to be in a good position to choose or negotiate.”
Are you satisfied with what was decided at the Safety Commission yesterday?
“Very satisfied in the sense that we spoke together. It was quiet and we said things directly to each other. So it was like a man-to-man discussion, it was good.”
Has it been decided to change the rules?
“Regarding the decisions of the commissioners, they will be stricter and we have expressed how we would like them to make their decisions. Maybe the only reason that can be changed is in case of racing in the wet, how we can handle it. There may not be very many people leaving the grid in the event of a wet race. If we had already done this in Argentina, Miller could have won.”
Photo credit: MotoGP.com
