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 makes you immerse yourself more every day in the world of MotoGP…
Johann zarco: “Even though at the moment I'm not in the top 10, I want to stay positive today and I want to look at the positive things of the day. So I'm just crossing my fingers that it will be dry during FP3, and I hope that I re-enter the top 10 to go straight to Q2. I want to stay positive because I had a good feeling on the bike from the morning, and a lot fewer problems than I expected. And even without having tested here, I wasn't that far away. Compared to last year, I was able to have a good pace and set good times, much faster than a year ago. These are positive things.
And even in the afternoon, the choice to start with a new tire with 12 or 15 minutes to go, it was too early to attack. I tried to set a good time but it wasn't good enough to be in the top 10. Then, when I tried to push even more on my last lap, the rear tire already had too many turns. But even with too many laps to set a great time, it was pretty fast and I'm happy with that. I think it's been quite a while since I've been able to do a lot of laps with only a 3 tenths gap. And that is very important to feel good on the bike. I have good feelings and I can control the bike better and better. That's why I want to stay positive today. Another good thing is that I can slow down and then immediately be fast on the next lap. This shows that the feedback is good. Compared to the Ducati, I think we still have a problem with traction to really have good acceleration, but since it is a small circuit I will try to use the Yamaha well and have very high confidence in it to compensate for this problem regarding acceleration.
Since I didn't do a test here, I expected to struggle a lot compared to the teams who did. But as the track is different, with probably less grip as they say, they couldn't make a big difference, compared to me, and so I think that gives me less problems. We have problems and we are trying to resolve them but I don't feel very far away. I saw Marc, how he was riding early in the afternoon, so I could see some good things and I could see that I wasn't that slow. Then I was also able to follow Lorenzo and I was also able to see his strengths and also where I could do better. It’s been a long time since I could even compare myself to these good guys.”
You know the Frenchman who replaces Tito Rabat. He struggles on a MotoGP…
“I haven't seen the times he did and I don't know him. I just heard that he was doing 600 in the Spanish championship. So the difference is too big. It's good when you take a rider from Superbike because Superbike is a world championship and there are very fast riders as well as a high technical level. This can be dangerous for him if he wants to do more. Unless it's calm, but generally when you're a pilot and you're far away, you get angry. And if you get angry but don't deal with it, you hurt yourself. Afterwards, if he doesn't get angry being far away, where he has a lot of wisdom, or you shouldn't become a pilot. So I don't know, it's a Spanish choice. There is a business behind it. In MotoGP, there was talk at one point of a super-license, like in Formula 1. Why not? ".
Since they changed the direction of rotation, it's a track where you're constantly braking and putting a lot of demands on your front tire. That's not a problem for you?
" No. It's a small track that really looks like a go-kart track. This is why training on Kart tracks is quite good. But afterward, you have to do everything like on a go-kart track but have a heart that can handle more than 300 km/h. This is what is intense and what is extremely good for a driver. We are indeed at the front, but you balance your bike and it's fine. In any case, there is no obligation to use a hard tire in front, because there is so much need to steer the bike to the right and left that you are also happy to have a softer tire to have more Security ".
In your opinion, you put a new tire on too soon. Is it a choice of the team or of you?
" It's my choice. We took it together because we saw the gray clouds and it was safe. If there had been a few drops, I would have been in the 10. That's how it is. Let’s stay on the positive, and things are going very well.”
After two sessions, what exactly are you struggling with?
“We could only complain about the acceleration, about this bike sliding. It's true that as soon as you accelerate... you enter the corner and when you accelerate again, you feel that the bike starts to slide. It prevents you from covering meters and, in my opinion, this remains one of the Ducati's strong points. They manage to position their motorcycle well, and when they accelerate, it hits you. For my part, it's a problem but we can resolve it by focusing on something else. And I'm happy, because I feel like it's working. But it’s something else, I don’t want to say it (laughs).”
In English, you said that you were faster in pace and time than last year at this time of the weekend...
“Ha, yes, yes!” Completely. That is good. Last year I struggled with speed. I even fell twice. There, the speed is there, and it's great. And even, comparing myself to Márquez and Lorenzo, there is definitely a part of the circuit where…
At the beginning, I went back to slower riders, and I said to myself “okay, it’s okay”. But when I was able to get back on the fast drivers, I told myself that it was a sign that I was in the right place. So there are good things. We'll see tomorrow, but I'm sticking with it because it's a very technical track where, if you have less power and less stuff, you can still get by. And I hope to get out of it like that.
Afterwards, if it rains this can also be an advantage to prevent others from progressing too much. And so, ultimately, having somewhat mixed and difficult conditions for everyone, it's always an opportunity to be able to get a front row or a pole, or a podium on Sunday.
Find all of Johann Zarco’s other debriefings here!
San Marino Grand Prix, Misano, MotoGP J.1: Chronos FP2
| 1 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 1'32.198 | ||
| 2 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | 1'32.358 | 0.160 | 0.160 |
| 3 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 1'32.385 | 0.187 | 0.027 |
| 4 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 1'32.411 | 0.213 | 0.026 |
| 5 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | 1'32.537 | 0.339 | 0.126 |
| 6 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 1'32.722 | 0.524 | 0.185 |
| 7 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | 1'32.775 | 0.577 | 0.053 |
| 8 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 1'32.786 | 0.588 | 0.011 |
| 9 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Honda | 1'32.980 | 0.782 | 0.194 |
| 10 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | 1'32.985 | 0.787 | 0.005 |
| 11 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | 1'32.999 | 0.801 | 0.014 |
| 12 | 51 | Michael PIRRO | Ducati | 1'33.005 | 0.807 | 0.006 |
| 13 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | 1'33.183 | 0.985 | 0.178 |
| 14 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 1'33.193 | 0.995 | 0.010 |
| 15 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 1'33.274 | 1.076 | 0.081 |
| 16 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | 1'33.423 | 1.225 | 0.149 |
| 17 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | 1'33.517 | 1.319 | 0.094 |
| 18 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | 1'33.654 | 1.456 | 0.137 |
| 19 | 6 | Stefan BRADL | Honda | 1'33.660 | 1.462 | 0.006 |
| 20 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | 1'33.815 | 1.617 | 0.155 |
| 21 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 1'33.878 | 1.680 | 0.063 |
| 22 | 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | 1'33.896 | 1.698 | 0.018 |
| 23 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | 1'34.278 | 2.080 | 0.382 |
| 24 | 44 | Pol Espargaró | KTM | 1'34.461 | 2.263 | 0.183 |
| 25 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | 1'34.539 | 2.341 | 0.078 |
| 26 | 23 | Christophe PONSSON | Ducati | 1'38.154 | 5.956 | 3.615 |
San Marino Grand Prix, Misano, MotoGP J.1: Combined Chronos FP1/FP2
1 4 Ducati Team A.DOVIZIOSO ITA DUCATI 1'32.198
2 99 Ducati Team J.LORENZO SPA DUCATI 1'32.358 0.160
3 35 LCR Honda CASTROL C.CRUTCHLOW GBR HONDA 1'32.385 0.187
4 25 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP M.VIÑALES SPA YAMAHA 1'32.411 0.213
5 93 Repsol Honda Team M.MARQUEZ SPA HONDA 1'32.537 0.339
6 9 Alma Pramac Racing D.PETRUCCI ITA DUCATI 1'32.722 0.524
7 42 Team SUZUKI ECSTAR A.RINS SPA SUZUKI 1'32.775 0.577
8 46 Movistar Yamaha MotoGP V.ROSSI ITA YAMAHA 1'32.786 0.588
9 29 Team SUZUKI ECSTAR A.IANNONE ITA SUZUKI 1'32.923 0.725
10 21 EG 0,0 Marc VDS F.MORBIDELLI ITA HONDA 1'32.980 0.782
11 5 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 J.ZARCO FRA YAMAHA 1'32.985 0.787
12 26 Repsol Honda Team D.PEDROSA SPA HONDA 1'32.999 0.801
13 51 Ducati Team M.PIRRO ITA DUCATI 1'33.005 0.807
14 19 Angel Nieto Team A.BAUTISTA SPA DUCATI 1'33.183 0.985
15 43 Alma Pramac Racing J.MILLER AUS DUCATI 1'33.193 0.995
16 30 LCR Honda IDEMITSU T.NAKAGAMI JPN HONDA 1'33.274 1.076
17 45 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini S.REDDING GBR APRILIA 1'33.322 1.124
18 41 Aprilia Racing Team Gresini A.ESPARGARO SPA APRILIA 1'33.654 1.456
19 6 HRC Honda Team S.BRADL GER HONDA 1'33.660 1.462
20 38 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing B.SMITH GBR KTM 1'33.815 1.617
21 17 Angel Nieto Team K.ABRAHAM CZE DUCATI 1'33.878 1.680
22 10 Reale Avintia Racing X.SIMEON BEL DUCATI 1'33.896 1.698
23 12 EG 0,0 Marc VDS T.LUTHI SWI HONDA 1'34.278 2.080
24 44 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing P.ESPARGARO SPA KTM 1'34.461 2.263
25 55 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 H.SYAHRIN MAL YAMAHA 1'34.539 2.341
26 23 Reale Avintia Racing C.PONSSON FRA DUCATI 1'38.154 5.956
