His name is Marco Rigamonti, he has been working at Ducati for a while and he is the chief mechanic of Johann Zarco, Pramac rider in MotoGP. We assure within the brand that the Frenchman will soon be renewed for 2023, his disappointment at Silverstone – where he had given himself solid means to finally make it happen, before the fall – in no way coming into play. The pair should therefore extend their cohabitation and, in a truthful interview, the Italian reveals a relationship that is as human as it is professional, with a particular character of the tricolor that he describes to us thus...
Johann zarco holds two world titles in Moto2, with 15 victories and 30 podiums, but in MotoGP, if he has great achievements to reveal, there is no achievement to show. A situation which certainly weighs heavily and its chief engineer readily recognizes this by specifying: “ lack of victory means no spotlight on him ". Certainly, but our zarco also has a natural propensity to move in the shadows. On GP One, his accomplice in the box Marco Rigamonti says: " as a person, Johann is very shy et has difficulty expressing his feelings. It also struggling to make you understand what he needs. He has the habit to ask little and to question oneself ».
The Italian then touches on an essential aspect of the Frenchman’s career: “ it's a positive thing because it's good for a rider to adapt, but as you become more competitive it's important to sew the bike on you. This was a limitation in his growth, he always adapted ". But over time, the chief engineer learned to decode his champion: “ now we understand what he needs and when he expresses his discomfort it is easier through experience to understand him ».
« Johann Zarco hesitates to ask you for modifications, at Ducati they call him the king of traction«
Johann zarco also has a specificity in terms of management which is identified in Ducati : “ we call him the king of traction, he knows how to use the rear tire very well, he still finds plenty of grip. At first he lacked braking, but this year he took a good step. He still needs to work in this area, but in gas management he is very good. Johann drives with the rear. He never complains about the front, he is very focused on the grip behind ».
Benevolent, and also attached to the success of his pilot, the one who has worked in the past with Iannone et biaggi admits to pushing him off the beaten track to make him progress again and again: “ I sometimes push him to take risks in terms of settingss, because he always questions himself through piloting. He is reluctant to ask you for changes. However, it is not fair to always ask the pilot for everything. He has to give 100%, but we also have to question our work ". A conclusion shows that Johann zarco is in good hands. All that’s missing is this damn success in MotoGP.
