By signing his official driver contract with KTM, Johann zarco probably never imagined finding themselves in such a situation after the first three Grands Prix of the 2019 season. Jostled by a teammate Pol Espargaro who excites the men of Mattighofen with his brilliance, he does not take off from the bottom of the rankings while being prey to the beginner pilot and satellite of the Austrian firm, Miguel Oliveira. A sporting situation which reflects a technical distress which is beginning to disrupt the dialogue between the Frenchman and his boss on the field. A vicious circle from which we urgently need to escape or risk losing sight of ourselves...
Between KTM and Johann zarco, we are not yet wondering how we got here, but both parties are on a slippery slope. On the one hand, we have a Pete Beirer, the brand's sports boss, who openly admits to having difficulty understanding the concerns of his recruit who has been riding so well for two years with a Yamaha. A question that he legitimizes by highlighting the results of his other foal, who is in his third campaign with the RC16, and who is making a more than satisfactory start to the season.
On the other hand, the double Moto2 World Champion says on the contrary that his fate has been understood. With this nuance which adds to the confusion: “ my team knows what I need. They told me to wait because they couldn't give me the solutions yet. I try to adapt, but I can't change everything ". The tricolor even specifies: “ I don't know what I'm going to get in Jerez. From the Jerez test we will start the real development work ».
This season should therefore be put on hold. Then there will only be one more left to restart. Because beyond his KTM adventure, it is also the rest of his career that must be looked at: “ I am in the best phase of my career where I could get on the podiums. But I have to develop a project that is not winning races at the moment. It is difficult to accept that this may take a long time. I am an athlete. Of course, you want to be positive and optimistic when you wake up every morning. I'm trying to analyze what Pol is doing, but it's not easy. Pol is currently flying very well. If we can improve the feeling on the bike so that I can use my qualities, I will be happy ».
He finishes : " I hate starting 19th, fighting on the bike and being so slow. It's quite complicated to understand how to improve things ". Can't wait for Jerez, hoping that this meeting in Spain improves a depressing situation that has lasted since the first laps with the RC16 during the off-season...
