We perpetuate as much as possible our habit of reporting in full the words of the pilots, in this case here Johann Zarco, in a raw way, therefore without journalistic formatting or distortion.
Alongside the sometimes slightly formatted communication of traditional press releases, the exchanges between the French driver and the journalists are of a richness and simplicity that true enthusiasts will appreciate (you can find all his past debriefings in our section “Interviews").
Johann zarco : “When we started this morning, the problem was not so much the speed but always the same character which forces me to fight to bring the bike back into the corners. In the afternoon, we took a good step forward to give me a better feeling and also a better performance. Of course, the new tire helps a lot but I had better sensations and I want to continue working on the same point which consists of having the best possible feeling, then after working on other things, because I don't want to get lose. I think we will continue to improve tomorrow and then we will be able to think about the race.”
When you say you don't want to get lost, what does that mean?
“That means then I don't know what to do on the bike, so I end up thinking I'm doing everything wrong. That was the feeling over the last few months, but I won’t have it during the second part of the season.”
Do you have any new parts brought by KTM?
“Thanks to Dani's work, we can feel that we are in the right direction to have a stable bike, and that is very important. Then, after stability, we must have the ability to be fast because we are not fast yet. But we improved the stability in a good direction that I also followed during the first part of the season, and Dani confirmed it this summer, so it was good to go with that today.”
Have you tried any development parts tested by Dani this summer?
“Yes, I had everything Dani tried. It's all these new things that we have to put together to make them just work in a better way together."
Have you spoken with Dani about all this?
“No, I let the techs talk to him and get his feedback, then I talk to the techs.”
Don't you think you would have better contact with Dani directly, because he's a pilot?
“I can and I have exchanged messages and spoken with him. When we change things, we also have to adapt them and give KTM time to properly control these new things. And I want to continue working on these new things because that’s the direction for the future anyway.”
A few riders today complained about the rapid deterioration of the rear tires. Did you have this feeling?
“Overall we feel a drop off after 10 laps, which is almost halfway through the race. So we'll see. If I get the feeling I want, then maybe I will be able to better manage tire degradation.”
Do you know exactly what new things Dani brings, or do you prefer to operate a little blindly?
“No, I don’t really want to know. We know that on the new chassis, it's still the most recent, and after that, it's more about the engine character: different butterflies to really have a more flexible delivery of power. We are trying to put all that in place, plus a new saddle which I really liked in Barcelona. We use it there. I don’t feel the benefit because we attack from the start, but I still always try to keep the latest developments, because that’s the direction for later.”
Earlier, you said in English that the bike remained difficult to get into turns. Do you want a motorcycle that corners more easily?
“Not that fits, that turns when I angle!” And that's not the character of this bike. When you have more grip, it just adds grip but it doesn't help it in the corner. So you can go faster, but always by forcing more. And that, for me, is what we want to work on and what we stumble on.”
How were your holidays ?
“I did a lot of training. We wanted to change the training a little. It's not easy because I have sometimes had difficulties, and then Jean-Michel said that change does not always bring progress, but that there is no progression without change. And I liked that because it’s clear that I have to go through that, at least to take this difficult step this season.”
Lots of motorbikes?
“A week or 10 days with a lot of sport, then a final week more riding. I discovered flat track because I had never done it. I had just done a little dirt at the Superprestigio. There, Flat Track is really cool! There are things to work on.”
What race are you expecting for this Sunday?
“If my feeling improves, I think I will be able to manage tire wear better. Otherwise, currently, it's a race behind. Anyway, when you're 20th, there aren't many people...".
Many drivers complained about the bumpy track. And you ?
“No, I think this Brno track is very beautiful! Riders who go fast no longer know where they are hurting, so we have to quickly give them a KTM again and they will finally know what bumps are (laughs).”
Ranking Czech Republic Grand Prix in Brno FP2:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
