We perpetuate 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 enthusiasts more and more every day in the world of MotoGP…
Johann zarco : “I'm happy with today's race. I was able to fight from the first lap, overtake drivers, stay in contact with the leading drivers, and maybe get back to the leading group a little. It's a very positive feeling that I had missed for two races. So I'm happy about that, and coming back to one is a fighting spirit. Why couldn't I get on the podium or fight for the top 5 until the end of the race? I think I was sliding a little too much during the last 7 laps, maybe because we haven't found the right things yet during the weekend, and that was again the disadvantage I had during the race. So it’s a lesson and an experience. Staying with these top drivers, finishing 8th while taking the points, and still being 4th in the championship is very good, because I struggled. Maintaining this position when I have had difficult times is really good for me. Now you have to dream of 2nd position in the championship because that is still possible, Valentino not being that far away. Only Marc escaped but I accept that he is the strong rider, understanding his bike well and controlling everything. The goal is to be like him, and why not fight for second place…”.
It must have been completely crazy to be in the front row to see these fights in the lead…
" It's really good ! There was a point during the race where they weren't that fast, but at that point I was well behind them and still fighting with myself. So maybe this is my weak point: when they go slow, they rest their bodies more than I do, so when they have to increase the pace, they have saved energy before. Today I had this problem, and when I came back to them, even in the group I wasn't very comfortable, and when they increased the pace I couldn't keep up.
But it's very good, because we were able to brake well, to enter the corners well. I was part of this group, but they are strong on every detail: they brake well, they enter the corners well, and at the moment you say to yourself “he braked well!” ”, he already opened the throttle and accelerated. That's nice to look at ! »
Are you happy with your tire choice?
“Medium front, hard rear, yes! To have this regularity in the race. I think with the tensioner I could have had too much movement from the rear, making the bike unstable. So the choice was the right one, but we could see different choices in many drivers, and you had everything on the podium.”
You qualified with a soft rear tire…
“I think if I had put the soft rear tire on, I would have had too much movement from halfway through. For a qualifying lap, I couldn't have done what I did yesterday with the hard, so we had the soft to do two laps in qualifying, then we had the hard to do the race distance.”
The fastest lap in the race wasn't that great, and yet you couldn't mix with the group. What was the reason?
“The wind was strong. Without the latter, I think we could have ridden in 33.9 or 33.8. I think the best there was in 34.2 or 34.1. I think the leading drivers quickly understood that if they wanted to run below 1'34, they had to risk their lives, and that they were intelligent enough to say to themselves "ok, I'll stay in 34 and I'll see what happens." that is happening ".
What is more important to you, winning a race or your championship position?
“Both (laughs)! I always dream of a victory and I always dream of a good place in the championship. When you are 4th and you can finish on the podium…
At the end of the year I would realize that top 3 is an incredible thing in MotoGP, but to have great races I have to already realize it now and appreciate my position. Dovizioso had a great race and immediately gained a few places in the championship, but I'm still ahead, which means staying strong can pay off.”
What do you think of the differences between here and the Sachsenring?
“Wow, it's completely different: it goes up and down at Sachsenring whereas here everything is flat. And you don't have fast turns like here. There is only one fast turn, right, but as it is almost the only right turn, you cannot attack this turn otherwise you will fall. But we have good tires, really soft on the right side, and that’s an advantage compared to Moto2.”
Are you comfortable on this circuit?
“I prefer Spielberg (laughs)”.
Jonas Folger had a crazy race there last year…
“Yes, and we have all the information about this race. I would like to understand what he found, and do it again. I was happy for him last year, and now why not find his secret. It's a tough race at the Sachsenring. It's all about the rhythm because since there are 30 laps, if you find good things on one lap you can really have fun."
Do you talk with him sometimes?
" No. I don't know how he's doing but I hope he's okay. I have his contact on Whatsapp but I don’t take the time to write to him.”
You say that your confidence has returned, and that is important for the championship, before the Sachsenring…
" Yes. It's part of the game: the championship is long with ups and downs during the season. To have a very good championship, it is better to have a lot of highs, but you have to stay strong when there are lows. Hopefully I’m back to a good way of working and a good mindset to know what I need on the bike.”
You rode with Rossi and Vinales. Have you noticed any differences from them?
“When I overtook them, I was already a little limited. I overtook them both in the same place, in turn 10. It was a place that I liked: I passed well at the exit of 9 and it allowed me to enter into 10 with momentum. Vinales was very strong in changing angles at high speed. There, we were the opposites: him very strong and me very weak. And finally, in total laps, it gave him the advantage.”
Do you think this is something he found during the tests in Barcelona?
“No, it’s his way of driving and understanding this track that favors him on this part of the circuit. Even for several years, I have thought about it, but it doesn’t come.”
In your opinion, the extremely tight ranking, in the race as well as in your championship package, is it rather linked to the track and to the evolution of MotoGP?
“I think MotoGP is like that. For the race, the layout is there, it's like in Australia and it should be races in packs. But at championship level, on the other hand, it is the tire situation which explains this. Soft, Medium, Hard, we almost always have these three choices on the podium and it’s a real sign that it’s balanced and gives everyone the opportunity to do something good.”
You can find all of Johann Zarco's daily debriefings in our section “Interviews"
Dutch Grand Prix Assen MotoGP Race: Standings
| 1 | 93 | Marc Márquez | Honda | 41'13.863 |
| 2 | 42 | Alex Rins | Suzuki | +2.269 |
| 3 | 25 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | +2.308 |
| 4 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | +2.422 |
| 5 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | +2.963 |
| 6 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | +3.876 |
| 7 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Ducati | +4.462 |
| 8 | 5 | johann zarco | Yamaha | +7.001 |
| 9 | 19 | Alvaro BAUTISTA | Ducati | +7.541 |
| 10 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | +13.056 |
| 11 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Suzuki | +14.255 |
| 12 | 44 | Pol Espargaró | KTM | +15.876 |
| 13 | 41 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | +15.986 |
| 14 | 45 | Scott REDDING | Aprilia | +16.019 |
| 15 | 26 | Dani PEDROSA | Honda | +16.043 |
| 16 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | +16.416 |
| 17 | 38 | Bradley SMITH | KTM | +29.073 |
| 18 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | Yamaha | +33.824 |
| 19 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | +34.037 |
| 20 | 12 | Thomas LUTHI | Honda | +47.853 |
| Unclassified | ||||
| 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 9 Tours | |
| 10 | Xavier SIMEON | Ducati | 9 Tours | |
| 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 15 Tours |
