By pushing his Ducati GP21 to 352,9 km/h last Wednesday on the 1068 meters of the straight line of the Losail circuit, Johann Zarco had already set the speed record on two wheels.
On this occasion, he declared: « I think there is still a margin on the bike, and that over the next few days we will be able to get closer to 360 km/h, which will be a completely new record. »
The day before, he had warned: « when there is no more wind, we will reach 360 km/h! It's demonic! »
It's not yet done but the driver came close yesterday, with a new speed record for the Qatari circuit raised to 357,6 km/h during his second run during the afternoon.
360 km/h is therefore no longer far away and could perhaps have been reached “in the cool” today during the last day of testing, but the weather forecast unfortunately anticipates a strong wind for this final MotoGP test session. : To see which way it will blow…
As is often the case, Ducati achieved the 5 best top speeds yesterday, and as the Borgo Panigale machines also launch like dragsters, the game will undoubtedly be difficult, in two weeks, for the 4 in-line cylinders which equip the Yamaha and the Suzukis: Even if they set a good time on a lap with a clear track, what could be more frustrating than fighting tooth and nail in each turn to get passed back in a straight line?
John Zarco : “no one was as fast as that. It can be a lot of fun to reach that speed. »
