Yesterday, Saturday December 7, Johann Zarco went to the dealership Cottard Motorcycles, near Rouen, for a commercial event, as is often the case for drivers once the season is over.
Jacques, one of our acquaintances with whom we spoke afterwards, was on site and reported as faithfully as possible what the French champion shared with the crowd gathered in, and in front of, the store...
Well there you go, I saw it…. from afar. I admit that I almost turned around at 14 p.m. when I saw the crowd waiting outside the store, some of whom had been waiting since 00 a.m. this morning! Then, spotting some acquaintances, I managed to enter and sneak in to get where I needed to at the same time as Johann!
The crowd had been getting excited for a while now by a Maxess host and when he finally appeared, it was an explosion!
A popular success which clearly shows that despite this 2019 season, Johann Zarco is still in the hearts of bikers in France and I think that must warm his heart.
It’s a Johann very relaxed and smiling who then took part in the question-and-answer game.
Good no scoop, the contract is being finalized while awaiting the formation of its technical team. He will be good with his little friends during the next winter tests.
His motivation is of course to end up with an official Ducati machine for the 2021 and 2022 seasons in order to be able to play for the title.
Ducati… But not only that, in fact if another factory with a machine capable of winning gives it a look, why not and if it was a Honda too!
The status of test driver that Jarvis offered him did not suit him, considering himself too young for this role, what Johann wants and he has repeated it, is to race the 20 Grands Prix of the 2020 season and fight.
Johann has no regrets about the way he managed his season and the break with KTM, considering that he has enough experience of the GP world now to manage himself.
After thanking the LCR team for being able to finish the season feeling very good,
Johann would like to go back for an official Honda, if this handlebar were to become free at the end of 2020!
So no tongue in cheek and to the question asking if his frank and complete character had not played tricks on him, Johann retorted that on the contrary it was this character trait which had made him strong and which allows him to remain present on the MotoGP grid next season.
It was under a round of applause that this exchange ended to follow the traditional signing session and there I did not stay, a queue of around 300 meters stretched in and out on the sidewalk !
Johann also went outside to meet the fans who could not enter the concession: a great mark of respect! Really good guy!
In summary, Johann zarco takes full control of his destiny and does not close any doors for the future, except undoubtedly that of Yamaha test rider, for which he considers himself still too young. The story continues…
