We perpetuate our habit of referring to you in full the words of Johann Zarco, in a raw way, therefore without 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 enthusiasts more and more every day in the world of MotoGP…
Johann zarco : “it was a difficult race, yes. I expected to have a better pace to at least be able to run 24.7 or 24.8, but I couldn't get any faster than 25.1 or 25.3. It was really difficult. I also expected to be strong in the first part of the race when that was perhaps my worst moment. So yes, I am very disappointed after the race. When Bautista caught me at the end, during the last 2 laps, I was even 11th but we did very good last laps with Tito and Álvaro. We fought and made some nice overtakes, and I was able to take the lead coming out of the last corner, so at least in a tough race I was able to enjoy those last few laps. When you fight with other drivers, it's always more fun.
It is difficult to know whether the tire choice was wrong. Maybe I should have used the medium, but I didn't have a great feeling this morning so I really thought I could do many laps in 24 with the soft. But I didn't do them. We knew we wouldn't have a big advantage on this track, but as I like this circuit, I expected to do something good. In the end, it didn't happen and I finished the race and I still strongly believe that I can achieve some good results before the end of the season.
Could track temperature be an explanation?
“It could be. This may be the only reason we can see. But we also have the experience that sometimes the temperature becomes high and this is not a reason to put a hard tire. We've had this kind of surprise before. So I’m a little disappointed.”
Was gas mileage a problem?
" No. No no ! With my Yamaha, I'm not fast enough to consume too much gasoline (laughs).”
At KTM, Pit Beirer said he hopes you get back to your previous form. Do you think this is already the case?
“I’ll tell you that when I’m in the top 5 with my Yamaha Tech3. I'm not yet in the top 5 but I think I'm on the path to regaining this high speed. After qualifying, I really felt like I was not only on the path, but close. But to repeat it every lap during the race, I have to train hard at home. I know my reference at home, and so I have to try to improve more and more, and this is how I will be focused enough to have this speed in the next races.”
What do you expect from Silverstone, as it is a fairly typical Yamaha circuit?
“I want to be ready to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself. I hope Silverstone can be a good one. Last year was also a good race, but not with the group. I was in 6th position, a little far from the group, but almost with them, a bit like I did in the Czech Republic. So yes, I always go there with a smile and high expectations, because it’s a positive energy.”
Do you like this track?
“Yes, and I believe that with the bike I have now, with the stability I have, it will be useful on the bumps, compared to last year. Last year I suffered a bit because it's a fast track with a lot of bumps. They redid the surface and maybe there are fewer bumps, but at least we have a stable bike with which I can maybe have a better performance than last year.”
Are you going to test in Misano, Sunday 19?
" No. We don’t do any more testing and leave that to the Factory team.”
Yamaha made a public apology to the official riders. Could they make some for you too?
" No. I don't care about that. These are not my stories.”
The pace was a little slower than last year. How do you explain this?
“There is still Dovi who beat my best time in the race. So, in this first half of the race, they were able to hit 24s to make the hole. This is what I really hoped for, but it didn't come. Afterwards, I don't really know the total time of the race, but if they went slower, it's perhaps because they were confident. I don't know and given that I suffered in the race, I find it difficult to analyze the others.
Do you regret your choice of tires?
" No ! I have no regrets. Maybe that's the reason, but it was the only tire with which I managed to have a performance throughout the weekend. Even when it was worn out. But that performance didn’t come in racing. So it may be because of the higher temperature, but as I said, with experience we have already had surprises when higher temperatures did not necessarily lead to the use of a tire harder ".
What does “training at home” mean?
“It's getting on a motorbike and going, going, going, like an autistic person (laughs), to chomp on the brakes. Because disappointment must be evacuated in a certain way.”
Are there other tracks similar to the Red Bull Ring that could pose a problem for Yamaha?
“There is Thailand. But he's a bit different and the tests were great this year for me. So it could be a circuit on which I can take an advantage, because we haven't done many years on it yet and this will be the first year. So there, I can probably do well. And Misano will probably be complicated too.”
We see that Lorenzo has become very argumentative. Does this surprise you or did he already have this in him?
“He was already fighting before. We were less aware of it, and I think that during his Yamaha period, once you understand the bike, it's better not to be in a fight. He had this ability to go away and let everyone go, knowing that if he rode the Yamaha the right way, he was going to win the races. That’s what I’ll try at Silverstone (laughs).”
You had the opportunity to follow Valentino during the race…
“Yes, but hey: I think it’s a 3/10 difference, so it’s not much.”
In the championship, Márquez is well ahead, but can he be worried by the Ducati?
“Yes, but he will be able to manage. Last year he had a zero at Silverstone because he broke his engine, and there you just need to finish on the podium and that's a lot more points than last year.
Find all of Johann Zarco’s other debriefings here!
Austrian Grand Prix Red Bull Ring MotoGP: standings
| 1 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 39'40.688 |
| 2 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | +0.130 |
| 3 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | +1.656 |
| 4 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | +9.434 |
| 5 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | +13.169 |
| 6 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | +14.026 |
| 7 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | +14.156 |
| 8 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | +16.644 |
| 9 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | +20.760 |
| 10 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | +20.844 |
| 11 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | +21.114 |
| 12 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | +22.939 |
| 13 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | +26.523 |
| 14 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | +29.168 |
| 15 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | +30.072 |
| 16 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | +30.343 |
| 17 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | +31.775 |
| 18 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | +34.375 |
| 19 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | +40.171 |
| 20 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | +53.020 |
| 21 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | +53.261 |
| 22 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | +54.355 |
| Unclassified | ||||
| 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | 18 Tours |
