Johann Zarco does not hide his ambition to play his card in a title race which, since 2020, has shown that we can also achieve it with perseverance and regularity. In addition to being, of course, sufficiently efficient. The Frenchman, at the good GP21 at Pramac, knows that he played his joker by crashing in Portugal. So, in Jerez, he brought home the points. At Le Mans, for his national Grand Prix, he will undoubtedly be more offensive. He explains what he lacks to definitively establish himself as a serious candidate for the crown. And listening to him, it’s not that unattainable…
Johann zarco led the championnat after the two deadlines in Qatar, which he honored with two second places. Then he fell in Portugal and he wisely collected the points of eighth place in Spain. Here he is fifth in the provisional general classification with 48 points, i.e. 18 behind only the leader bagnaia, official Ducati...
Precisely, the Frenchman analyzed the journey of the two factory drivers of the Borgo Panigale brand to whom he owes everything in the relaunch of his career. And he draws from it the recipe that he must master to prove himself a pretender to the throne. On Moto sprint, he says thus: “ I think I can be a championship contender. But I have to take extra steps in terms of confidence to ride this bike. You have to manage it a bit like Pecco Bagnaia. If I can have the same driving feeling as him, combined with the things I know, I think I will have a lot of cards in hand for the title. Now I don't have them yet, but I can play something. I'm near ».
He adds about the academician VR46 : " when he has everything in place, Pecco is a machine, he exploits the Ducati perfectly: used like this, it becomes the best motorcycle. Even in qualifying, he manages to put three tenths between himself and the others, while we have a gap of a few thousandths ».
A reflection that shows ambition. But there is also something to take from the other resident in the red tunic, either Jack Miller, the winner of the last Spanish Grand Prix: “ from Jack I would take the mentality, he has a lot of fun, he is perhaps less precise than Pecco, but when there is a small problem he knows how to go further. This is a characteristic of a real pilot. In Portimao, he made me get on his motorbike to return to the box. He alone does these things. He manages to concentrate efficiently, but after the checkered flag, he is there to have fun. This is the right mentality in sport ».
John Zarco: “I am a man and no longer a boy”
In the Pramac stand, there is also Jorge Martin, a rookie who has already shown what he is made of by getting on the podium of a Doha Grand Prix which he led three-quarters of the time. What does the double Moto2 World Champion think? “ Very good. He's young, I feel like his big brother. Without giving him advice, because we are still adversaries, but if things go well for him, I'm happy for him. The second weekend in Qatar, with our double podium, was magnificent and I hugged him on Sunday evening. We were both happy, for ourselves and for the team ».
Johann zarco ends by defining itself as follows: “ a man, and no longer a boy, who has experienced different situations. It wasn't all easy, but eventually I gained experience. I am a man who always wants to be a top athlete and with a great desire to win. And There you go… This is what brings me closer to the Zarco of ten years ago: same objective, but with more experience ».
