On this Sunday, May 2, 2021, Johann zarco answered questions from journalists from the Jerez – Ángel Nieto circuit at the end of the Spanish Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French pilot.
As usual, we report here the words of Johann zarco without the slightest formatting, even if the first part (vouvoiement) is translated from English.
Johann zarco : " Hello everyone ! I would say happy! Happy with the eight points I scored because after the crash in Portimão it was very important for me to continue progressing in the championship. That was the main objective. I knew the Ducatis were capable of being fast and had good potential on this track and I was able to use it, but not absolutely every lap. The race was pretty good pace-wise. I set a good pace, but clearly I had some problems getting very comfortable, so the race became more difficult for me at the end. The positions I lost at the start of the race undoubtedly cost me. But overall it's a kind of satisfaction and I'm happy to see the two Ducatis doing first and second. It really confirms the feeling I have about the Ducati, that the potential is very high, and when I can do everything with the right style, I will be even more competitive. But with a race in which I had some problems, I was still able to be fast, and we are circling around something very good to be really relaxed. These 8 points are very important for me and it's good to work on tomorrow during the test, then prepare for Le Mans as well as possible. The track is different and I think that will help me, and everything I learned during this weekend will be useful. »
Do you know what you are going to try during the test?
« Yes. First of all, we have to do suspension tests because I am very sensitive to suspension settings. That's why, with more time and a lot of rounds, we will try things to, perhaps, open new doors for me. It will therefore mainly be work on the suspensions. It doesn't sound like much but to me, if you separate the front and rear well, there's a lot to do. So mainly the suspensions because we are already competitive and we don't need a revolution. We just need to find something that gives a better feeling to the rider. »
After the fall in Portimão, the main objective was to reassure you?
« Exactly ! It felt good to finish the race. At the time, a little disappointment because eighth is not great, and having a little difficulty at the end annoyed me, but when I see that I am only 7 seconds behind the first, it's ultimately not huge , because I had some problems and I wasn't completely comfortable. Miller winning, even for the championship it's very good. Bagnaia confirmed well and we will say that my luck in the championship is that Fabio was not able to take many points, because if he had been able to win this weekend, I think the difference in the championship would have been more important for my apple. So from that side, let's say that there are positives in the championship, as in the race. »
What happened at the start and what were your concerns at the end of the race?
« So at the start, I already think that I didn't have a great exit from the grid, and the others were really confident in the first five corners. I couldn't get the bike where I really wanted to go. So all that, me who wasn't really able to manage the bike well, plus the others who still seemed very confident at the start of the race, it made a combo which meant that I lost a lot of time. places.
For example, Rins' confidence was perhaps almost a bit too much, because the fact that he stepped aside, he fell. Binder, I think he could have been very strong, but unfortunately he also crashed in turn 2. So here it is: All this, we see that we are at the limit, and sometimes, when we try to make the difference , because we feel capable of it, we can be surprised and I didn't want to make that mistake. And then, pretty good race pace. I lost a little time behind Viñales. I was able to pass him at one point, but the same thing, I made a mistake and he passed me again and then kept a good pace. But all these times in small 38 were really interesting, so that was good. The thing is that I was able to do them, but with a little too much energy demand, that is to say a little too much physical compensation. And that means that in the end, instead of being able to put in a push to gain one or two places, it's more like having to endure the last few laps to finish. So that, in fact, is the difficulty at the end of the race, because I lack ease. »
Francesco Bagnaia noted that the VR46 Academy pilots had never had to undergo surgery for compartment syndrome, probably because of the frequent training they did. Do you agree with this?
« I can agree. I can agree because it's true that they train quite a bit, and with a lot of intensity, on their ranch. At the end, I had pain in my right forearm because it's the one that controls everything. But I know that when I have pain, for me, it's more a sign of lack of comfort than really compartment syndrome. That’s why: We’re going so fast! The bike almost always has the capacity, whether it's the Yamaha, the Ducati or even others, but sometimes, if we're not completely comfortable, as we know we can go fast, we try, but then the body becomes a little at the limit. So I think there is that. Afterwards, Bagnaia manages the entire length of the race very well because he also seems very calm, so in my opinion he manages not to over-exert himself when things are not going well. When things aren't going well, maybe he's a little more behind and won't overcompensate and exhaust himself. »
How is Jerez physically located in relation to Portimão?
« Jerez is less physical compared to Portimão. There, I had pain in my forearm, I repeat, from this lack of ease. My forearm hurt, it was hard at the end, because I lacked ease, especially in the right turns. But physically, Portimão is much harder: I had fatigue in my legs, a little fatigue in my arms, and not only the forearms but also the triceps, the shoulders, because there are lots of compressions, whereas here, we will say that it is a flat circuit. There, at the end of the race, I analyzed it with Jérôme: I don't feel tired, my legs are fresh and there was only this little push from the forearm. So when we tasted Portimão, we see that Jerez is pleasant. »
Motorcycle performance is increasing in all areas: Are the physical constraints getting higher and higher?
« I think so ! Yes ! Because it accelerates harder, but the aerodynamics are also there to brake harder. To slow down as best as possible. And so physically, I see it, the body has evolved over time and if I hadn't gained pure strength, I would be limited for a while. We can still see that we all have good sizes up front. Fabio is rather tall, but he is not skinny. He's tall, he doesn't have big arms, but the fact that he's tall still gives him this strength. He is not taller and thinner than Valentino: he is tall and you can see that he has strength. He is not trained like a Márquez but we see that the templates, now, are more ready to take it. Bagnaia also has good arms and that helps. According to me. »
Do you often change maps during the race?
« It works according to feeling. There were races where we were able to do everything on a map, we felt so good and we could manage tire degradation only with the throttle. But in general it's true that it's worth reducing the power over the laps. Already, the bike becomes lighter, so there is less need for power in certain places. The rubber is also reduced, so if it starts to slip we will always manage this slipping better with less power. Afterwards, it depends on the driver's feeling, because if we take away power we have the impression that we are no longer moving forward, and so we panic and put back a lot of power. But as soon as you put back a lot of power, you start to spin again and it's the traction control that blocks everything. I see that experience helps me with that, and I repeat: When you are comfortable on the bike, you are much more lucid in judging what you need and when. The team makes suggestions, we're not on earphones but we still have suggestions. These are more suggestions “you see with your feeling but we, with our calculations, we think that it is more worth it to do it like that”. »
With the evolution of performance, do you feel like you have changed sports since you arrived in MotoGP?
« No, not to the point of saying that we changed sports, because physical fitness has always been important. But you still need a very strong heart and be able to have your cardio very, very high. This is probably why we can sometimes be surprised by 20-year-olds because they have cardio between 180 and 200, which holds up. At 30, the 200 is sometimes harder to maintain (laughs). So cardio has always been there, even from 125 to MotoGP, but sometimes it's pure strength which perhaps helps to compensate for delicate situations. So no change of sport, because in the end, the one who wins is the one who is the most comfortable. I see: My two podiums are where I was in the best shape at the end of the race. Whereas there, eighth, I couldn't have done a wheelie or even a wheelie like Miller did. So when you are comfortable, you swing the bike where you need to, when you need to, that you use the true potential of a racing bike, and that can be learned from the small categories. As a driver, these sensations are hard to describe and that's what's great. I would say that physical fitness helps to get through a season to compensate for tricky situations, but if you are on cloud nine all the time, there would be almost no need for physical training. »
Standings for the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez:
Credit ranking: MotoGP.com
