On this Friday, May 28, 2021, Johann zarco answered questions from journalists from the Mugello circuit at the end of the first day of the Italian Grand Prix.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French driver who currently occupies 3nd 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).
Johann zarco : " Regarding my day, I was very happy this morning: A fantastic start, even with worn tires. Of course, I had a very good time behind Michele Pirro. He was on new tires and it was the perfect combination to finish FP1, but the time was very good, which is good for confidence. In the afternoon, I did a few good laps and tried to progress already in preparation for the race, but I was a little disappointed at the end of the session because with the soft and new rear tire, I didn't I didn't improve my morning time. For this reason, I'm currently disappointed but it's not a big drama: we have tomorrow morning to catch up with Q2 and be with the guys at the front. I couldn't make any progress during the fast laps, but at least I did a few good laps to try to set up the bike to prepare for the race, to be consistent and fast. Today, I think Rins also had a very good session this afternoon. Maybe the heat this afternoon caused some problems for me to be very fast while some took advantage of it to gain confidence, so it's good to see how some drivers are doing better in the heat while d Others were better this morning. So a lot of information this afternoon but a little disappointed not to have been able to progress during the last laps. »
What exactly do you do on the bike when going over the characteristic bump of the Mugello straight?
« On the straight line bump, it's the rear wheel that unloads. It's not the front because with all the aerodynamics the front remains stable, but it's the rear which slips a little. Normally if you try to lean the bike there, that's the way to keep some stability, but I was quite surprised today that everything was really under control, and with all the brakes we have , the bike slows down very well. It's important, and like I said yesterday, we can go fast but at the same time we can slow the bike down very well thanks to all the aerodynamic appendages on the fairing. But I think beating top speed here is going to be a bit complicated because of this base. Maybe there is some sort of limit now and we have a little less run-off zones at the end of turn 1. That's why maybe we won't be able to reach 360 km/h. Maybe I'm wrong but it's too much! »
What are you doing with the rear brake and accelerator there?
« Thanks to the electronics you can keep the throttle fully open. It's simply if you're following someone that it's better to play with the throttle so as not to have too much speed. But it's better to keep the throttle open and lean the bike. It depends on the rider's feeling but I prefer not to use any brakes and just play with the inclination of the bike, because I think if I brake it is difficult to feel but I think I lose a little time . So it's better to play with the inclination. »
It was the first time on a Ducati at Mugello for you. Tell us…
« It was good ! It was very good ! Straight away the Ducati behaves like a Ducati, with positives and negatives, but I tried not to make too many mistakes and just try to use it as best as possible. This way it works well: The bike really has huge potential and I'm happy again that Pecco was fast this afternoon, because it's further proof that the bike is fast. As long as you don't do everything the way you want, clearly it's not easy for me. But the first sensations were very good and I was happy not to be able to control the positives of the bike. »
Have you been able to follow Francesco Bagnaia who apparently has a particular style?
« No, I couldn't follow him today. I was able to follow Michele Pirro who had done tests here. He's always a very precise driver and it was good to have him up front and see various things. But no, I didn't have many drivers in front of me today and Pecco was in another place on the circuit. »
You say that you are disappointed with your FP2. Maybe it was because of the heat but also maybe because of other things? Haven't you tried things that didn't work?
« I think the heat didn't help me progress, that's not the only reason. I think we tried to turn a corner but we didn't succeed. That's why I have to keep working and stay calm. What we tried didn't work but sometimes we have to do it this way to know the next step to take. Even though I have the confidence to progress on this track, we did not reach the level I expected in terms of feeling. »
What were you looking for?
« It's a very technical track and when you're comfortable you can enter the corners very quickly. But at the moment, if I go a little too fast, I don't turn enough and I widen a little. I think that's why it's a bit difficult to progress at the moment. »
It looks like it will be cooler on Sunday. Could this help us for the race?
« With just the analysis of this day, as I was fast in the morning and not in the afternoon, the temperatures could be a good explanation. »
You seem to be having some difficulty in terms of regularity. How can you improve this?
« The consistency wasn't very good today, especially in the afternoon, because I tried to find solutions to ride the bike better, and until I found them I couldn't really do work on regularity. If you don't feel good on the bike, there's no real reason to push. »
The Ducatis are very powerful but there are also other bikes that are ahead. Power isn't the important factor here?
« This is the whole story of Mugello! There is a long straight but there are also a lot of turns (laughs). I told you that Rins' pace in the afternoon was very impressive. Our power advantage helps a lot in the race to stop guys like Rins or like the Yamaha guys. When they feel very good in the corners, if you can slow them down a little, that's our advantage. But sometimes, for very fast times, this is not what helps us the most. Here it is: During testing, it's not so clear to see the power advantage, but in the race it's good. »
Concretely, what happened for you this afternoon?
« Well, there were some interesting laps to confirm what I need and don't need on the bike to go faster on this track, and not being able to improve at the end of the session also makes it pretty clear that what we tried didn't work at all. So it's disappointing at the time but it's part of the game, and you have to stay calm to be better tomorrow and get back into the game. It's the only way. Otherwise, after two years without riding on this track, I was pretty happy with this morning. It went very well and the time at the end of the session was really tip-top with the worn tires, so I was happy with that. Unfortunately, in the afternoon, I was able to attack with an interesting momentum but then we didn't do the right things. It can happen, that's how it is. »
The Ducati is good, but how does the Lamborghini work?
« I prefer the Ducati (laughs)! There are too many holes on the roads in Tuscany so I feel like I'm breaking the Lamborghini all the time. And you shouldn't take more than two backpacks. »
Do you still have fun on the Ducati on this track, compared to the Yamaha?
« With the Yamaha, I never rode fast here. I still had a bit of trouble and I think that this morning, I also understood why I was having trouble on the Yamaha. And there, this morning, the bike really has exceptional potential, it was really interesting this morning, and the Pecco lap in the afternoon was also very fast. So I am convinced that the motorcycle has this extraordinary potential, and in my opinion better than other motorcycles. Afterwards, the challenge is to be able to use it all the time. It's easier said than done but I think I'm on the right track to get there. »
In retrospect, what was wrong with the Yamaha on this track?
“I think I wasn't coming into the corner fast enough. That was mostly it. It's a small circuit where you still have to go hard into the corners, but to do it you have to feel good, and as I had several falls, the brain... You're still human so you think about it a little. »
Mugello is a very special circuit where you have never had excellent results. How do you explain it?
« With experience, I think the main problem I may have, after having focused on it in previous years and it did not work, I know that this is not what we need to find a solution at all costs. The fact of sliding a lot with the rear, lacking grip, not turning enough: We have to try to find the solution elsewhere and that's what we're going to do. I think it's a bit of a combination of my style and the confidence you have to have on the bike that here, with a MotoGP, there's a bit more for me to do. It seems like my nature isn't helping me enough. But here it is: What is good for me is that this Ducati has extraordinary potential. I love this kind of challenge. By finding the solutions here, it will open doors for me for the rest of the season which can allow me to play the championship correctly. »
Have you looked at the data of the other drivers?
« I haven't looked at the data yet. But as long as I don't have my own reference, it's better to start fresh and not get too technical into my head. Neutrality served me well this morning but unfortunately this afternoon it didn't pay off. »
FP1/FP2 classification of the Italian MotoGP Grand Prix at Mugello:
Classification credit: MotoGP.com
