Johann Zarco did the same thing to us in Argentina as in Portugal last week, leaving us with this mixed impression of disappointment and intense satisfaction summarizing everything in relative incomprehension. Because if he had been able to set the infernal pace from the start that he showed in the last third of the race, he would undoubtedly have been in the fight for victory with Bezzecchi. He himself recognizes that he lacks this spontaneous combustion. A Zarco is warming up, and this evening it gives a Frenchman third in the championship. He is happy with his sixteenth podium in MotoGP and his second place. Would a Poulidor live there?
Johann zarco excited us so much at the end of this Argentine Grand Prix that he worried us at the start, where he even seemed to be mourning a top 5. Then the machine kicked in, for a comeback of exactly one second per lap on the two drivers chasing the leader who were Morbidely et Alex Marquez. With three laps to go, he swallowed them without firing a shot, so reminiscent of the epilogue experienced in Portugal last week that his last victim had the same name: Alex Marquez !
On his performance at Termas de Rio Hondo, the Frenchman commented: “ I really believed in this podium because I suspected that I was going to have pace at the end of the race. This time, it didn't dry out but as the track stuck a lot, the tires wore quite a bit and a bit like in Portimao at the end, I was able to make a big difference ". He adds : " in the rain I can make a difference from mid-race, but at the start it's almost the same problem as in the dry: the others manage to have grip at a certain entry angle and suddenly they arrive to attack and be able to pass without wasting time. And that, I'm a little in trouble because I slipped quite a bit ».
After this edifying analysis of what he lacks, he specifies: “ So we had to catch up but by remaining calm I suspected that it was possible. However, afterwards I saw the others going far, very far ahead, and I said to myself: “I'm 8th, 7th, and this is going to be complicated”. In any case not to win, because I didn't even see the first one... I was 5th, I had 3 left in front and I said to myself “but where is the first one” …I focused on both and did my best to catch up with them ».
« Luckily there weren't fewer rounds because it was barely there really. Time to have Morbidelli and then Alex Marquez ". He analyses : " At the end we see that they have difficulty accelerating and I can do a lot more meters, it was moving but these are conditions that I like And it feels good ».
Johann Zarco: “ for victory you have to be able to be more comfortable, better manage your bike at the start of the race«
Overall, he is satisfied, and we would be unless: “ second it's really great. It's a bit my style and we're going to try again to improve it to be better from the start because I saw Bezzecchi's first times and he did 45.5 in the 6th lap. He knew how to use the tire at the right time and in any case he was super strong all weekend. At VR46 they work really well because he and Marini manage to pull each other up well and they become really very strong. So respect to him. It's a bit like the Valentino style: quite tall, rather skinny guys who manage to drive cars in the most beautiful way as a result. It's a great victory on his part ».
And for Johann zarco, when is it due? “ For me, well we take it and we continue to move forward in the dry as well as in the rain we have to manage to improve further. I tend to slip I think maybe in the first third of the race. Out of 25 laps, that's about 7 first laps. I think I must have been riding in 46 something like that and the others were below 46 and that's tenths we lost. Afterwards we are also in a fight, with the suction braking effect we are less able to slow down in both the dry and the rain. So you have to be careful because I don't want to make a mistake, especially when you know you can do well ».
Inexhaustible, he continues: “ I'm still happy because I got off to a good start, I managed to impose myself well even if, as I said, I may have lost a few places, but it still went very well . For victory you have to be able to be more comfortable, better manage your bike at the start of the race. precisely to not lose places when the others are good, because afterwards when the others are less good there is a difference to be made ».
On his leap forward in the championship, he reacted as follows: “ ah yeah definitely third, it's great and you don't have to look too hard but clearly, fortunately with the Sprint Race, when you mess up you don't lose a lot of points. Afterwards if we scored points in the Sprint, in addition to the long races, there is a way to have a crazy championship but there, the 20 points, well they make for a good ranking ". Then he finishes: “ It's the start of the championship so you have to take advantage of that. If I manage to progress to stay in the top 5, and most often on the podium, with regularity I could have a great championship ».
Results of the MotoGP Argentine Prix at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
