Present alongside Johann Zarco since his beginnings, Laurent Fellon is the only one who knows him perfectly and does not hesitate to share his joys, but also, sometimes, to point him in the right direction...
His opinion is therefore valuable, and that is why, through these few questions, we tried to gather his point of view in the middle of the season.
Your skills and experience have allowed you to help Johann Zarco reach the top in 125 and Moto2, and this is now also the case in MotoGP as this season's results prove. How were you able to achieve this without having any experience in MotoGP which has the reputation of being a fairly closed environment?
“I think you have to stay passionate, not deviate from logic, work and understand certain things by looking at others. When you see what others are doing and when you've been in Grand Prix for ten years and you're sixth, then fifth and you get to fourth, you've learned certain things that you pass on to MotoGP. It's a category that is a big category, but we must not underestimate, as Johann has often said, Moto3 and Moto2, when arriving in MotoGP. If you are good in Moto3, you work for Moto2, and when you go very, very fast in Moto2, you start to have a way of riding that approaches MotoGP. With all these parameters, you have a good team in MotoGP called Tech3, and afterward, Johann does his job as a driver, as happened this weekend we went to the Aragon karting track where Johann set the record in 2'00. He is in good shape to arrive in Brno. There, I will do my trackside work. We have been going to Brno for years, but each circuit has its driving secret. You stand in certain places and see how the driver drives. You see certain things. You have to work methodically. Johann arrives in good shape, the team is good, the Yamaha is very, very good, so it’s just happiness. »
How did it feel at Assen to see Johann lead the first 11 laps ahead of two of the best drivers in the world, Marc Márquez and Valentino Rossi?
“By finishing 2nd at Le Mans, on the podium, I knew that Johann had the potential to do it. Now everyone has to agree to wait and be patient to let him grow in this category which is very, very tough. In driving, because he still has to grow and learn certain things because there are many great drivers, like Valentino or Márquez, who already have years of experience. But also in physics because your brain must learn speed, it must learn certain things, and automatically, it must program itself. So we have to be patient, and at one point Johann will be all the way in front. »
Are there times when the races don't seem too complicated to understand in terms of tires, especially for the spectators?
“I don't want to criticize the media because we need it, but we have to stop thinking that it's Formula 1. We always focus on the tire and we forget everything that's next to it. It's true that Michelin makes very good tires, they do their job, and afterward the rider analyzes the tires, but on a motorcycle, there are not only tires: there are suspensions, there is the engine and there is the team. But we hear about tires all the time. Tires aren't everything, poor people, so we always blame the tires. If the driver does not have 37°8 but 39°, he no longer rides well but he says it is the fault of the tires! Tires aren't everything. When everything goes well, we say we had great tires, and if not, it's the tires. »
At the start of the season, you had the most balanced bike with the Yamaha 2016. Since then, manufacturers have worked like Ducati but also Yamaha. Aren't you and Johann Zarco worried about your initial advantage being reduced, just like Jonas Folger?
“No, I don’t think so because we shouldn’t go into those details. As soon as we go into these details, we automatically ruin our health. So in my opinion, we must put all that aside and not think technical. You have to continue to want to grow and train the pilot. Because motorcycles are good, all the same! Johann and Folger's bikes have won races! We must not think of others, we must think of ourselves and work. If you start looking sideways, you're wasting time. You put your mind where it shouldn't, where it's not good. »
