MotoGP Austria J1 Debriefing Johann Zarco (Ducati/1): “It's not a fast enough chicane to give Fabio an advantage”, etc. (Entirety)

This Friday, August 19, 2022, Johann zarco answered questions from journalists from the Red Bull Ring circuit at the end of the first day of the Austrian Grand Prix.

As at Silverstone, the French driver was the fastest on Friday, this time without falling, and this bodes well for the rest of the weekend...

 

As usual, we report here the words of Johann zarco without the slightest formatting, even if it is partially translated (vouvoiement for English, tutoiement for French).

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Johann zarco : " A good day ! Really, it was important to be fast and have good confidence again immediately on the first day. My opinion on the new chicane is really what I thought: it's quite slow. So we still have a good advantage with the Ducati and maybe we can use our advantages even better in braking and acceleration. So I'm happy with that, and it also makes turn three easier because you get there slower. So you have more options in turn three and if you try things during that lap, you don't need two laps to start again. For this reason I was happy to be on the bike. We can work well with the team and I hope that in the dry we can take a good step forward to then play with the bike and be very competitive. »

Are you going to first or second?
« Still in premiere. We thought about second but when I get inside it's always too slow, so I feel better in first. »

What do you think of the sprint races next year?
« It will be a good challenge. Very interesting. It’s always a good show and it’s good for the audience. It's good to watch in Superbike so why not in MotoGP, but I think we will have to change our approach to racing, and as an athlete it will be interesting to work on. »

Will it be more dangerous, because generally this type of race is very intense?
« Normally we are smart pilots (laughs), at least most of us. We should be able to control this. Maybe it can be difficult for beginners because I think experience will be an important thing for sprint races and will give an advantage to riders who have been on the same bike for a long time and competitive. »

Have you ever discussed this among yourselves?
« I think we're going to talk to the safety committee now. »

Are you in favor of this?
« For me, no matter what, even if I say no, no one will pay attention (laughs). »

What importance should we give to these races, in terms of points?
“I haven't thought about it yet, but I think it should be almost the same points as a long race, because it's the same intensity but just shorter. In long races it's almost another strategy, so maybe we should have double points at the end of the season. Because personally, it would require the same concentration, so I would say the same number of points. »

What do you think of the chicane?
« An interesting quibble! Well, it won't give you the opportunity to overtake better, it will still be much more difficult to overtake, but ultimately it makes turn three easier and it allows you to be more consistent in your laps, because at At the time it was still very difficult braking, and as soon as we tried things we completely missed the turn. So, we had to start another round. There, we arrive much slower and we will say that this makes the circuit much easier. »

Looking at the ranking, we see the Ducati in front, then the Aprilia…
« Yes. I think because the chicane is very slow, it gives even more opportunity to use the bike's strengths. It's not a chicane fast enough to give Fabio an advantage, and as a result we continue to be able to use our bike better. »

Do you use the Ride Height Device more on this circuit?
« Yes, I use it a lot. In any case, here, it's a circuit which is almost designed for this system, and there with the chicane, it works very well. »

You're the last one to use it fully. Is this a little personal advantage?
« It would be nice if that were an advantage. We're going to think this evening about better tuning the bike and making it so. »

Does the chicane make tire management easier?
« No, I don't think so, because when there was the straight we forced ourselves on the left side. On the other hand, it is better because the front tire remains warmer than before. »

You don't use the fins on the saddle?
« No, because we haven't had the opportunity yet: there aren't enough! But in fact, it's just a detail. »

What is this supposed to bring?
« Still stability, but pilots have difficulty feeling it. So, in my opinion, an aero effect is hard to feel. »

 

Results from FP2 of the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring:

Classification credit: MotoGP.com