On this Thursday, June 17, 2021, Johann zarco answered journalists' questions from the Sachsenring circuit ahead of the German Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French rider who currently occupies 2nd place in the MotoGP world championship.
As usual, we report here the words of Johann zarco without any formatting, even if it is translated from English.
Congratulations Johann for your four second places and your second positions in the championship. It's a very good start to 2021. What are your feelings upon arriving in Germany?
Johann zarco : " As usual, I try to be neutral and positive. We know and we hear from all the media that it is not the best circuit for the Ducatis, but I do not completely agree with them because we can have good surprises. With the experience that I have acquired over time on this bike, I am really curious to see what feeling I will have on this track which is very special compared to all the others. But I'm very happy to be back in Germany, and just driving to Germany and northern Europe with the car. Being there with the hot weather in the paddock which is special, with on one side the hospitality and a few trucks, and on the other the real paddock, I love all of that and I simply hope to enjoy this weekend as well as to do great things to continue to push in this championship where everything is going well at the moment. »
“We hear from the media that this is not the best track for Ducati” 🎙️ – @JohannZarco1
Sounds like Zarco is planning an upset to the historical record this weekend in Germany 🔄#GermanGP ???????? pic.twitter.com/ccmb8vgaz0
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) June 17, 2021
Do you think that the statistics that are not favorable to Ducati here are still relevant with the GP21?
« I think they don't mean anything because, like Jack said, the bike is a lot easier than what he's ridden before, even when he finished fourth. This means that we will have something extra that can bring good things to this track. For me, there is definitely something that we need to understand about this circuit, because you can think that you really need to be able to spin there a lot or that we won't be able to use our power, but in the end it's always Marc (Márquez ) who won here, and it's not a Yamaha. Maybe the Yamaha is the best for turning, but Marc has always shown that it's a V engine that wins here. So I'm trying to approach it like that and we'll have to start the weekend to really know what the potential is. But I still have this positive mindset that it is possible to do well. »
Marc Márquez has won his last 10 races here starting from pole position. What do you expect from him This year ?
« I think he will be there, and even on the podium. It's difficult to say for the victory, but clearly with the advantage he had during the last years, and even this year with a broken arm, I think he will have less gap than what he had on the last circuits. And above all, he had a good test on Monday in Barcelona and he had a good rest. I think the two consecutive races at Mugello and Barcelona were difficult compared to the injuries he had. Even though he didn't show it, I imagine it was difficult. So there's a gamble to be made and I think some people can put a little money on him. It is true that he is not currently playing the champion, and that is why we have to make other calculations, and he is not aggressive but does not hesitate when he doubles, so we will have to take him into consideration if we fight for the podium. »
We didn't have the chance to speak to you after Barcelona about the fact that the penalty given to Fabio Quartararo was given three hours after the race. What do you think ?
« Having talked about it at home with some people who are fans of the French drivers, they think it was not right to do it after the race. Above all, they mentioned a rule that I did not know. Thinking about safety, yes we have to do something, but he finished the race without falling, so in the end he did it. This is why this penalty needed to be taken into greater consideration and received a lot of criticism. Sometimes doing things after the race makes it hard to change things. I have Anthony West in mind when he was banned because of a doping test: All his results in the world championship were canceled! I also saw a Moto2 race in 2012 where I finished sixth and where he had a great race and got a great podium. And when I checked the rankings during the winter, I had moved up to fifth. But sixth or fifth, 10 years later, it doesn’t change anything! It was too late ! Three hours later, it's already late, but 10 years later, it's really too late. There are things to think about, yes. »
Six Ducatis are already confirmed for next season, and more than likely eight. Do you think this could be an advantage in terms of development of the bike and give you an even better situation in the championship?
« Maybe ! Being able to supply eight motorcycles is a lot but it's a good sign that the factory is working well. And it's also a good sign regarding the bike's potential. If this change results in us having the best bike in the class, it will put pressure on the other manufacturers, so I just hope that will be the case. But we will have to be careful not to provide too much and perhaps lose certain things, but I don't think Ducati will make these kinds of mistakes. It will be good and I think it might be even better to have more bikes, and at the moment Ducati can do it, so why not? »
The current decisions of the race management (in fact the panel of FIM MotoGP commissioners) are causing a lot of dissatisfaction among the riders. Do you think trust is lost?
« There are several ways to look at this. In their place, it is sometimes difficult to make a decision because they have to make it very quickly. This is why they put this rule on the limits of the track where yes or no everyone could have their judgment. They said “no, you hit the green, you have a penalty” even though you can sometimes see that going over the green doesn’t provide more. But then, yes, we often disagree because it's some kind of rule and as a human you have to disagree. But it is true that there is something. I think there are good people in race management, and others not so much. That's why it's hard to truly accept these things. But now, because of social media where everyone can see everything and chat for just a minute after the race, or even during the race, it puts them in an even more critical position. »
The other brands have a rider who stands out but at Ducati there are three of you fighting for the title. Will this be a problem to have maximum support for the championship?
« In my opinion, it is Ducati's luck to have three riders able to win races. The state of mind between Jack, Pecco and me is very good. I'm very happy about that and Ducati is providing strong support to all of us. For Pecco and Jack, it's pretty normal since they are in the Factory team, but for me everything is going very well too. So it's better to take it as an advantage, and I think it is, because at the moment we are not in the situation to really play during the race to use the Ducati's advantages against the others. But I think the more we control our bikes, the more we will have the opportunity to put our three bikes in front and score a lot of points for the championship and for the riders. The mood is good, and even now we can talk to each other. This is not just about Ducati, but you can see now that discussions, like the one between Jack and Fabio, is something that could not have happened before. I think we now have smart boys in this category, who think well. »
Do you remember your very first race: At what age, where was it, and how did it go?
« I remember it well. I think it was in 2000. I was between 9 and 10 years old but not yet 10, and it was in Fréjus, in the south of France. We had two races in the day and I remember finishing second both times. I remember the position that the first one had on his motorbike, but I remember more the position of this boy in front of me than his emptying or his identity. What's funny is that the first race he (Fabio) did was on the track where I first discovered motorcycles, a year before. One guy said “hey, he’s doing great!” Go join a motorcycle club to ride motorcycles with other boys.” A year before, I was able to discover motorcycling in Fréjus. It was my first race, and it's good. »
Photo credits: MotoGP.com
