It is quite rare to compare two drivers from different categories but if you look closely, there are similarities between the season starts of Johann Zarco and Marco Bezzecchi.
Both are known to be talented and proved it again last year, but both seem to inexorably clash with the instructions for Mattighofen's productions. And as both do not intend to stop there and are not afraid, both try and try... Until the fall.
There are now 7 for the Italian and 6 for the Frenchman, since those of Saturday afternoon, in their respective Q1.
Yesterday, with a 12th position 0,687 seconds behind the fastest and a teammate ranked 4th, a semblance of hope was present in the words of the double French world champion, but it is clear that it vanished after a difficult Saturday at the end of which Johann Zarco had to settle for 19th position, 1,8 seconds behind the poleman.
While waiting for better days, the objective therefore remains the same as for previous races: to be in the points.
Johann zarco : “We're a bit stuck in terms of settings so I'm really trying to continue to develop my riding to copy a bit of what Pol is doing, because my teammate is going faster and faster. It's a good omen and it means that there is something possible to do, but in terms of sensations, it's really all that I've never known how to do, or rather all that I don't know how to do. I've never done this before, and it's very hard to adapt. I tried to adapt as much as possible to the bike to use different lines and different places to brake and open the throttle, because that's what I have to do. Pol is doing really well this morning and that means he has good confidence and that's possible on the bike and I'm trying to change to do that. I need to learn and keep pushing for the race. It takes time. I said that it takes time to adapt the bike: we can't currently, so it also takes time to adapt the riding. The qualification was very complicated. Nineteenth is not fun and it really compromises the race for tomorrow because François is moving away from being in the top 10. It's hard to accept. I fell at a fairly high speed but I didn't have any injuries and that's the important thing. I'm doing my best and I still hope to have a decent race and fight with the drivers who will be in front of me to at least be in the points.”
Italian Grand Prix Mugello MotoGP J2: times
| 1 | 93 | Marc MÁRQUEZ | Honda | 1'45.519 | ||
| 2 | 20 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | 1'45.733 | 0.214 | 0.214 |
| 3 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 1'45.881 | 0.362 | 0.148 |
| 4 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | 1'45.959 | 0.440 | 0.078 |
| 5 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 1'46.029 | 0.510 | 0.070 |
| 6 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 1'46.079 | 0.560 | 0.050 |
| 7 | 12 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 1'46.181 | 0.662 | 0.102 |
| 8 | 63 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 1'46.260 | 0.741 | 0.079 |
| 9 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 1'46.293 | 0.774 | 0.033 |
| 10 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 1'46.387 | 0.868 | 0.094 |
| 11 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARÓ | KTM | 1'46.433 | 0.914 | 0.046 |
| 12 | 51 | Michael PIRRO | Ducati | 1'46.638 | 1.119 | 0.205 |
| Q1 Results: | ||||||
| Q2 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 1'46.278 | ||
| Q2 | 51 | Michael PIRRO | Ducati | 1'46.283 | 0.005 | 0.005 |
| 13 | 42 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | 1'46.539 | 0.261 | 0.256 |
| 14 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | 1'46.678 | 0.400 | 0.139 |
| 15 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARÓ | Aprilia | 1'46.899 | 0.621 | 0.221 |
| 16 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 1'47.028 | 0.750 | 0.129 |
| 17 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Honda | 1'47.135 | 0.857 | 0.107 |
| 18 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 1'47.184 | 0.906 | 0.049 |
| 19 | 5 | johann zarco | KTM | 1'47.394 | 1.116 | 0.210 |
| 20 | 36 | Joan Mir | Suzuki | 1'47.519 | 1.241 | 0.125 |
| 21 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | KTM | 1'48.222 | 1.944 | 0.703 |
| 22 | 88 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | 1'48.235 | 1.957 | 0.013 |
| 23 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Aprilia | 1'48.303 | 2.025 | 0.068 |
