About
Johann Zarco talks fear, uncertainty and hope in an interview with Motosprint. This is what the French rider felt last year during the last MotoGP races in 2019. It is clear that last season was the worst of Johann Zarco's career, after finding himself without a bike shortly before the Aragon Grand Prix…
However, replace Takaaki Nakagami at LCR Honda was a breath of hope for the Frenchman. When the freelancing ended at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, he still had nothing assured for 2020, but Ducati decided to trust him and give him a motorcycle at Reale Avintia. “ 2019 was a lost challenge », summarizes the native of Cannes.
« I had a two-year contract, but the way things were going, I couldn't continue like that », he explained about his situation while he was still driver of the official team KTM. " I was afraid of losing everything, I preferred to accept the risk of no longer riding a motorcycle, to look for other routes which, at the end of the year, materialized. I couldn't be happy being paid to do nothing. I couldn't live like that “, honestly admits the double Moto2 champion 2015 and 2016.
« I have no regrets and I must add that signing with KTM was not entirely my choice. My former manager supported me, I trusted him a lot and perhaps it was too much trust that led us to make a hasty decision. Now I've given up on everything and can only move forward and hope for the best with the Ducati. »
When the MotoGP championship ended, zarco signed with Ducati to race with a Reale Avintia motorcycle instead of Karel Abraham. About the offer, the Cannes resident says that it really came at the last moment. “ Maybe I could have talked to them first, but when I got the chance to drive the Honda I took full advantage of it, I didn't have time to prepare a plan B », revealed Johann. “ I became my own manager. After KTM left me at home, I went through a strange time, so when I received the call from Honda, I immediately accepted, since there were still doubts about the future of Lorenzo. When Jorge announced his retirement, I thought maybe luck was coming but it wasn't like that. However, Ducati contacted me the next day “, he explained about his transfer to the Italian company.
Being part of a satellite team, if he does very well and impresses the Ducati high command, zarco sees the possibility of joining the official team in the not too distant future. “ That would be great, but right now I'm focused on the present, on today. I'm just waiting for the February tests. If I go quickly it will be positive and then everything will go as it should. Obviously, the place in an official winning team is a dream for everyone. That will be the goal, but not now. Now I'm thinking about going fast with the Ducati of Team Avintia »
Concerning the four Grands Prix accomplished on the Honda LCR of Takaaki Nakagami, Johann replied that everything went very well and that the days he spent at Honda “ were the 15 best days of 2019 ". " I went to Australia, leaving all my problems in France and trying to rediscover the good feelings. Even at Honda they were happy with me and they were interested, but they also had to consider a lot of other things ", recognised zarco.
However, the Reale Avintia possibility was not the first in terms of the future of Johann zarco. Marc VDS in Moto2 was an option that was raised, as he himself reveals. “ Yes, I had the opportunity to sign with Marc VDS. But there was a risk : if I had said no to Ducati, they might not have opened the door to me in the future. And at the same time, winning, even in Moto2, is very difficult, and if I couldn't do it, I would have lost everything. With Ducati I have high hopes. »
Now that he has resolved everything and secured a place in MotoGP, zarco sets realistic goals to achieve this season. In fact, a curious fact is that this will be his fourth different motorcycle in the space of a year and two months. “ I need to set a pretty real goal, so I'm going to aim for the top 10. From there, I'm going to try to get better and better. If so, I will show that I have a good attitude to regain a position in an official team, but with a winning bike », concluded Johann.
Finally, beating the champion is a goal that many aim for, but zarco is clear: to dominate Marc Marquez « you have to be a perfect athlete and have courage”, because it is very difficult to fight against someone who already has six MotoGP titles. “When you have all that and you ride a good bike, you must be lucky “, said the Reale Avintia 2020 rider.
