Technical manager of Jonas Folger's motorcycle, Nicolas Goyon was able to see Johann Zarco and Guy Coulon evolve alongside him in the Tech 3 stand, and make direct comparisons between the two riders since at Yamaha the recorded data can be consulted by all technicians . Here is how Nicolas explains the exceptional 2017 season produced by Johann.
“If you compare Johann Zarco to Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi, he is the Yamaha rider who has the perfect style for this machine. His riding style is very similar to that of Jorge Lorenzo ”, according to Goyon.
Over the entire 2017 season, Yamaha factory riders only achieved four victories in 18 races (three for Vinales and one for Rossi). The lack of rear wheel grip was one of the reasons why Valentino Rossi et Maverick Vinales were unable to keep the 2017 Yamaha competitive until the end of the title fight. Even rookies Johann Zarco and Jonas Folger from the Tech3 team have surpassed them several times with the 2016 Yamaha.
Goyon is also familiar with the argument that the successes of Folger and Zarco are only due to the 2016 Yamaha. " Much has been said about the quality of the 2016 Yamaha, believes Nicolas. But I am convinced that the factory machine was not bad.
“For us, it was an advantage to work with a reliable motorcycle that we knew well. We didn't have to develop a chassis like the factory riders, who had to adapt to many changes.
“Doing this work during race weekends is very difficult. We were able to concentrate on ourselves and work on the style of the drivers. This is one of the reasons for Jonas and Johann's good performance. Seeing their potential was very positive for us.
“You have to ride this machine smoothly, brake smoothly, accelerate smoothly and tune the bike smoothly. This is the special riding style you need for a Yamaha. This style makes drivers fast. It's this riding style that made Lorenzo special on the Yamaha. »
Photo © Tech 3
Source: Speedweek. com
