On this Thursday, June 3, 2021, Johann zarco answered questions from journalists from the Catalunya-Barcelona circuit as a prelude to the Catalan Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French driver who currently occupies 2nd place in the championship.
As usual, we report here the words of Johann zarco without the slightest formatting, even if it is translated from English in the first part (vouvoiement).
You must be happy with your fourth place at Mugello…
Johann zarco : " I was happy with fourth place in Mugello. I could have made an extra effort to get on the podium but I was really at the limit. But at least I preserved this fourth place when I made that extra push with three laps to go. It was a good operation because coming second in the championship is always interesting. So it's a good situation. »
Can you comment on the extension of your contract for one year?
« Arriving now in Catalonia with the announcement of the new contract is good. I didn't have any additional pressure by not knowing exactly the future, but with the good results and the good state of mind that we all have together with the Pramac team I was confident that staying focused every weekend would bring good things for the future. That's why I'm very happy that we have a race here just a week after Mugello where I had a good feeling following Fabio and where I saw some interesting things that I can work on immediately from Friday . If I can get a good feeling again, I have a chance of having a good race on Sunday. »
What do you think of Remy Gardner joining MotoGP in 2022?
« I think we can have a nice surprise, because if you understand MotoGP quickly, we now know that the KTM works very well. The team knows what they have to do and I think he's the kind of guy who can enjoy that, and there have already been some really big surprises, like what Jorge (Martin) did in Qatar . I'm sure if he understands everything very well, he will be quick. As he said, he's looking forward to testing the bike but I think we'll also see that he can adapt to it very quickly. What he is doing at the moment in Moto2 is a good build to be fast, because he struggled and had a few crashes but he is now consistent, can win races and leads the championship. So it's perfect for him »
What exactly happened with Enea Bastianini, and were you able to speak to her?
« I couldn't talk to Enea after the race because I didn't see him, and then I got in the car to go home relatively early. When we leave the last corner and arrive on the grid, we open all the throttle before braking hard enough to heat the front tire. Some people may do it to warm up the brakes but for me it's more to be ready with the front tire. This is very important for the first two or three corners so you don't make a mistake, or maybe get a cold tire and crash. So it was at that moment, when I was opening and then braking that he hit me from behind. I immediately understood who it was because I saw the motorcycle, but I was surprised because it was a really violent impact. I was really lucky that nothing was damaged on the bike and I was able to race. But we haven't been able to talk until now. I didn't expect that and it seems he didn't expect that either, since we collided. There was nothing special compared to the other races, but it's true that the difference in speed is big between someone braking and someone accelerating. We usually do that on different lines, and that was the mistake at Mugello. »
You drove the Panigale V4S here. Is this an advantage?
« I think it was in January that I was able to try here, and I was at least able to see the new turn 10 which is very interesting. I prefer it this way, with this layout. But I don't think I have an advantage, because at this time of the season we all know our bikes perfectly and we can adapt immediately to the new corner. It is not a new track but only a new bend which has an intermediate layout. We will therefore adapt quickly. »
What are the big differences between the V4 S and the GP21?
« The difference between the two motorcycles? The V4 S has very good torque. It's very nice and it has a torque really close to MotoGP, which you can get a good feeling from with the V engine. You also have good power but you will never have the power of a MotoGP. What's sometimes difficult in riding is that you can't brake like you brake in MotoGP, and you can't push the front like you can on a MotoGP. Maybe since I've done a lot of Moto2 and production bikes, I adapt well to this kind of feeling, while others who only ride MotoGP hate this feeling with the front when they ride production motorcycles. I think that's where we lose, about 4,5 or 5 seconds between a MotoGP and a production bike. Now we can see that a strong front end is important, as the Moto2 bikes now go much faster than the production bikes. With the old Moto2s, a production bike could be close or faster, but now with the new Moto2s we can't anymore because we are limited by the production bike. »
Photo credits: MotoGP.com
