Having achieved the third fastest time in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix, Johann Zarco was invited to the press conference also bringing together Marc Márquez, Maverick Vinales, Mattia Pasini and Jorge Martin.
As usual, we report here a translation of his words, in full and without any journalistic distortion.
A different qualification from Motegi but a front row nonetheless. Something to be satisfied with...
Johann zarco : “Yes, I am very happy to be competitive whatever the conditions, with wet tires on a dry track. It is a very good thing. The work since Friday has been good because I was pretty good yesterday, but I didn't feel very comfortable on the bike. Now we took a good step forward and I was able to attack to have a good FP4 and fight during qualifying. It gives me very good motivation and happiness, because here in Australia there are very fast curves and even in the straight we go very fast, and when you can handle the bike well it gives you fantastic sensations . »
We can't be sure of anything about the weather...
“Yes, it’s complicated. It will happen at 16 p.m. and I think that for the moment, we have never driven at that time. And like they said, temperatures can drop in half an hour, so we'll see. The soft tires work well for me, and if that is the solution for tomorrow, I will take it and try to follow them (Marquez and Vinales), because I think they will be fast and fight together. And for me, if I can follow them and fight for the podium, that will already be magnificent. »
All six manufacturers are now represented in the top 12. In your opinion, why and is this a good thing?
“I find that very good. I'm in my first year in a satellite team with the Yamaha, and I really love it because it's excellent. But we can see that the new brands that are arriving, like KTM, are rather competitive. Aleix Espargaro also sets fast times on new tires, and it really proves that these are not bad bikes for the category. Even for the drivers, it's very positive when they want to change teams or contracts, because it gives motivation to everyone. »
Is it true that the MotoGP riders asked to change the start of the race for next year? (editor’s note: departure requested at 15 p.m. instead of 16 p.m., due to the drop in temperatures)
“I can't say anything more (than Marquez and Vinales) and I'll find out tomorrow. If I'm on the podium, for me four hours is good (laughs). »
You have often had difficulties here in Moto2 and, obviously, things are much better with MotoGP. What can explain these changes?
“I think we still have cool track temperatures here in October. The tires help me gain confidence. I also think that one of the strong points of the Yamaha is the solid feeling of security provided by the front axle. When you put these two things together, the tires and the safety of the motorcycle's front end, you can ride with confidence, take your line and enjoy being on the track. The biggest problems of the last two years were always being on the limit, not having any feeling and wondering if you were going to crash or not. This way, it can't do it. I'm really happy to have reached this milestone today and I hope to maintain it tomorrow. »
Do statements about your fighting style, like Lorenzo's last time, affect you?
“(Smile) No, it doesn't affect me because when I make a decision, I feel good and I know what I'm doing. When racing, we can sometimes touch each other and I already had a few adventures with Valentino at the start of the year. And it was good, because I learned things and people talked about me. In Japan, it was in the wet. No, you have to take the positive and definitely, you have to fight in the race and you have to take your chance when you can.
I am in this state of mind and I will continue because I am progressing by improving a lot of things, and I believe that with time and experience, I will often be here (at a press conference). I want to achieve this goal. »
Social media question: who would you take on the back of your motorcycle for a lap of the circuit?
“I don’t know, maybe I would take a young woman to impress him (laughs). Mine (laughs). »
Photo credit : MotoGP.com
