For his debut on the Honda, 2018 version, Johann Zarco finished his Australian Grand Prix on the demanding Phillip Island track just over 26s behind winner and HRC official Marc Márquez. Which gives us a little less than a second per lap lost in a race comprising 27. On the other side of the Repsol Honda chain, there is a Lorenzo who gave back no less than 40 seconds to the Frenchman. Between the two, the LCR driver until the end of the season has reasons for satisfaction…
Johann zarco was well received into the clan Honda and he gave a first honorable performance on an RC213V that he was discovering. Even if the official message is only to ride and do your best, from the driver to the manufacturer, the stakes are still there. And they are reflected in the words of the Frenchman who takes stock of his first outing as a teammate of Cal Crutchlow on AS.
« I'm quite happy and the team is also quite happy » comments the double Moto2 World Champion. “ I had a good fighting spirit and did my best. The good thing is that the sensations were consistent from start to finish, only when accelerating did I have difficulty controlling the bike. Maybe I used the tire too much, because Marc won with a soft compound, which means it was a good tire. »
Johann zarco also only dropped 15s on Crutchlow, second in the race: “ I'm not yet able to do better, but I felt things on the bike that I'm going to work on to be able to control it better. I must be happy. » Especially since he struggled throughout the race against his former teammate from KTM... " It's a bit anecdotal but I fought against Pol, the only KTM present, and we were both smiling at the end of the race. Maybe I felt like I could go faster, but I need confidence and I need to learn lessons. I have to continue to fight with the other drivers until the end and gain confidence. It's a good job and it's normal that I'm happy, because I appreciate today's result. »
« I have to thank Alberto Puig » adds the tricolor. “ First of all for this opportunity. Honda told me not to be excited about this opportunity, but to just enjoy it. I had checked the options for my future, I had spoken to several teams, including Moto2. I told Alberto I was sorry, because the first two riders in front were Honda riders and I finished at the back of the standings. But he told me not to apologize because Malaysia will be different. It's also true that I have to relearn a lot of things, which would be much easier to learn if I had fought with Cal in the race... I have to thank him, because I don't think it's super good, but if they are happy with the work done. It's positive for me »
If we talk about Puig, we cannot avoid the subject Lorenzo... " I need a little ego, so it's important to be in front of Jorge, although for me the most important thing is to be closer to Marc. If I look at him, okay, he took me 1 second per lap, but if I look at Cal this gap is minor. But for me, 26 seconds at the end of the race is too much. I would be more satisfied if I had around 16 seconds, or be closer to the group, fourth to tenth place. But we need to understand how to achieve them. With all the decisions I've made since the summer, staying in this position with a different bike is positive. It's true that I hadn't fought Pol since the beginning of the year, so it's better because I made the race and I could have beaten him. Things happen. »
Johann zarco finished : " I was at my limit in the race, but perhaps not at the good limit of the bike. On Friday, I realized that I could do better in the corners. I attacked two or three laps, then I had to rest one lap, attack again and rest, and now I did the 27 laps fighting, concentrated, because with Pol we had to fight. Our pace was good at the start, we were going fast and even faster than Bagnaia, Morbidelli or Mir, but we fought and we lost time. I did each lap well and didn't feel the feeling of being exhausted and having to give up. » Next experience next weekend, in Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
MotoGP Australia J3: standings
| 1 | Marc Márquez | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | 40m 43.729s |
| 2 | Cal Crutchlow | GBR | Honda LCR (RC213V) | + 11.413s |
| 3 | Jack Miller | AUS | Bow Ducati (GP19) | + 14.499s |
| 4 | Francis Bagnaia | ITA | Bow Ducati (GP18) * | + 14.554s |
| 5 | Joan mir | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) * | + 14.817s |
| 6 | Andrea Iannone | ITA | Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | + 15.280s |
| 7 | Andrea Dovizioso | ITA | Ducati Team (GP19) | + 15.294s |
| 8 | Valentino Rossi | ITA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | + 15.841s |
| 9 | Alex Rins | SPA | Suzuki Ecstar (GSX-RR) | + 16.032s |
| 10 | Aleix Espargaró | SPA | Factory Aprilia Gresini (RS-GP) | + 16.590s |
| 11 | Franco Morbidelli | ITA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) | + 24.145s |
| 12 | Pol Espargaro | SPA | Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) | + 26.654s |
| 13 | Johann zarco | FRA | Honda LCR (RC213V) | + 26.758s |
| 14 | Karel Abraham | CZE | Real Avintia Ducati (GP18) | + 44.912s |
| 15 | Hafiz Syahrin | MAL | Red Bull KTM Tech3 (RC16) | + 44.968s |
| 16 | Jorge Lorenzo | SPA | Repsol Honda (RC213V) | + 66.045s |
| Maverick Vinales | SPA | Monster Yamaha (YZR-M1) | DNF | |
| Mika Kallio | END | Red Bull KTM Factory (RC16) | DNF | |
| Tito Rabat | SPA | Real Avintia Ducati (GP18) | DNF | |
| fabio quartararo | FRA | Petronas Yamaha (YZR-M1) * | DNF | |
| Danilo Petrucci | ITA | Ducati Team (GP19) | DNF | |
