The Yamaha tests at Sepang ended a few days ago and, following Yamaha's instructions to the letter, Johann Zarco will not speak. We can be certain of this since he had already not said a single word about his tests at Motegi on behalf of Suzuki.
Also, we find it interesting to share with you the entirety of his “media” debriefing at the end of his first days of testing on the Yamaha Tech3 in Valencia, which is, at least in our eyes, like a little moment of history.
The opportunity also to see that our double world champion has a strong character and is not in MotoGP to make up the numbers, even if no one really doubted it...
Note: The interview took place half in English, half in French. The French pilot's comments regarding the first day are available here.
Johann zarco: “Very good second day. For sure, I'm happier than yesterday because I was able to control the bike better and, in the end, the time is very good. Even with worn tires, I didn't lose a second or two, but only a few tenths. That's why the whole day was positive and I was happy that with some small changes on the bike I was able to ride the Yamaha better and go in the right direction, while also relaxing. Because being released is always a very important point. In the end, we understood a lot of things and I understood a lot of things, which is good for the next test and my next experience on the Yamaha.
Were you able to ride with Valentino today?
“(Laughs) I had a good reference with Lorenzo and with Pedrosa. Perhaps Pedrosa and Lorenzo are the best references for smooth driving. For the moment, coming from Moto2, it is fluid riding that is necessary to learn.
Valentino, I only saw him once, and as I attacked, I slowed down thinking he was going to come back, but no, he was waiting and was very far away. So I still have this dream of following him and it wasn’t for this test.”
What settings did you work on?
“We worked on the balance of the bike, the suspensions which we modified slightly to give me a better feeling and allow me to ride in a good way. It was mostly small adjustments to slightly modify the bike to get a better feeling.”
Did you ride both days with the same electronic configuration?
“When we reached 1'31.5 we analyzed that it was time to make some changes to the electronics because I was able to feel them. With Traction Control, to try to understand different maps. To understand them well, after my lap in 1'31.5, I left with worn tires and for 10 or 12 laps, I was able to change the maps to feel them. It was interesting because there was no need to change the suspensions, but just with electronics you can have less movement and more control.”
What motorcycles did you use?
“We use Tech3's bikes, but anyway, they are similar to the official bikes. With Yamaha, you have to understand that they are always changing very small things. Let's say they are the same but they are different. No, the bike is good enough as it is and (yesterday) we were able to use the references from last Sunday, but they were done with the wings. So today was better because we had Vinales' references from the first day of testing, which was without the wings and with good times. So it was a better reference for us and for me.”
Your goal for next week at Sepang?
“The objective is to continue to drive at a good pace, not far from the best times, because if I am too far from the best times, I don't get the right sensations. And analyze. I think it will be a very good thing to change the circuit because Valencia is a very short circuit for MotoGP, while in Malaysia it is a big circuit; It will therefore be very good to change circuits for the mind, especially since after the Moto2 season, the body and mind have the rhythm. By changing circuits, I will have new references and the objective is to be as close as possible to the best.”
Physically, do you feel tired?
At the end of this day, after doing two sets of 60 laps, yes, you feel a slight fatigue, but that's normal. Even in Moto2, after 60 laps you can be tired. The more relaxed I will be, the better I will be physically. Malaysia will also be interesting if it's hot there, because having a difficult feeling because of the temperature will give me notice before December for my training.”
Did you expect such a satisfactory first test?
“I expected to do better, but I'm happy with the current situation. I didn't want to be more than a second behind, and I was less than a second behind when I stopped, but Vinales improved. We’re a second away and I think that’s very positive.”
You needed a first day to relax and release this pressure. Was today easier in that regard?
“Yes, the first day there were definitely a lot of new things, starting with the tires because all my life I have driven with Dunlops, and the character of Michelin tires is different. It was necessary to continue attacking so as not to waste too much time. This second day, after a good night's sleep, I was ready to use the Michelin tires more and that helped me a lot when riding the bike. Sleep on it…"
What are you missing at the end of these two days? Did you want something else?
"No. The 1'31.0, to talk about times, is very satisfactory, and you shouldn't want to “eat the cake in one go”, as Laurent would say. You really have to be satisfied with that. When I see Vinales riding on TV, when he did his 1'30.0 and his 1'29.9, there are things that I would like to do, but that I perhaps don't feel ready to do yet, or maybe I'm not handling the bike the way I should. But already, I can see it, so that will allow me to work on it. But here, I believe that we must know how to be satisfied with this great progress and the control that I have. I did a lot of laps in the 1'31s, and not just in one session, but in two or three sessions, I repeated the 1'31s, with the best 1'31s at the end, and that, if we compare to the race on Sunday, it’s very positive.”
Yesterday you were most impressed by the power. And today ?
“The acceleration is still demonic, but we manage to enjoy it. That's where the adrenaline is, and it's exciting (laughs). The other phase which is really tip-top compared to Moto2, is the moment when we have to open the throttle: we have double the horsepower, and yet we can open earlier and harder than with a Moto2 . It's the grip that allows this. And that's the way to go quickly, and that, initially, the body, the brain, doesn't want it, because it says to itself “with so much power I can't accelerate earlier and harder” , and yet that's how the bike wants to be driven. Once you understand that; for now, every time I get my bearings and accelerate earlier and harder, I'm always almost in awe of it. At the moment, it’s “wow, wow, wow” ! And then it's acceleration. This acceleration phase, this first stroke of gas; the bike reacts in such a safe way, it’s impressive, and good.”
Doesn't the fact of having a much larger team around you bother you?
“The first debrief is in English because, for example, there is the suspension technician and the Japanese engineers nearby. Then, after the first sensations, if something comes back to me but there are no more Japanese people around, naturally it will come out in French.
No more people... I really speak to the whole group or to one person and then it's up to them to pass it on to others if necessary, but that shouldn't complicate things, and it doesn't complicate things for me. I mean even though there are more people, it won’t change my comment.”
Guy (Coulon) told us that you had progressed throughout the day, on your own, without him needing to help you much. Did you have that feeling?
"No no. Because he thinks that what he did on the bike was nothing at all, but I told him, it's my fault and my quality, that little makes a huge difference to me. So that perhaps leaves me a very small margin of adjustment, which we will try to develop this winter. It is perhaps his almost humble side which makes him say “we didn’t do much”, but having followed me in this direction, it helped me enormously. You need both things at the same time: giving the pilot confidence, and then the pilot does it. But we still have to give him this confidence. In any case, for my part, this is our working and operating method.”
