The final press conference as a prelude to the 2023 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix in Portimão welcomed Luca Marini, Johann Zarco, Jack Miller et Joan mir.
Last week, the Pramac driver finished 2nd in the last test on this circuit and is approaching this weekend with a new approach…
As usual, we report here the words of Johann zarco without any formatting, even if it is translated from English.
Johann zarco : " It would be good to start the season fighting in the top 3. Clearly, Portimão is a good circuit because I have good memories here and I had good results. In addition, during the last test we worked on Saturday and Sunday, and on Sunday I decided to concentrate a little more on the time: setting a good time and finishing second was very good for the confidence. I then spent a good week off at home to have the best possible energy for this weekend. The test in Malaysia, plus Portimão, 5 days where I tried to change my approach a little on the Ducati to be able to better use my strengths and my riding style. I also tried to adapt to the bike and now we are trying to have a better adaptation of the bike to my riding style in order to be more natural while riding. And when things fall into place, the times also come and it's also an opportunity to fight better in the race if you feel more comfortable. So that's the goal and now we have to see how, with the other drivers around, I can fight and maintain my position. »
You said you wanted to get closer to Francesco Bagnaia's level: What do you need to improve?
« If you just take a technical point of view of Pecco's style, he's super strong in braking, so you can try to concentrate a lot on braking and that's what I did. But then, I wasn't very comfortable and I didn't have a very good feeling on the bike. So now I'm trying to change a little: I want to feel good first, then see if I'm strong enough to overtake riders when braking, or at least be strong and not get overtaken. This is the kind of change I want to make. I think Pecco is the best example because he's really consistent, he's the world champion, and what I can see the most is how super smooth he is with the bike. It's really beautiful and and that's why it's the good example right now. »
Do you think that, in your fourth season with Ducati, you are closer than ever to your first MotoGP victory?
« Yes. I think in 2021 I was very close to victory on several occasions. I couldn't get a victory but I had some good podiums and good second places, and I was consistent throughout the season. Clearly, everyone tells me that I have to win, and I want to too: It's not that I don't want to win any more races. But that's why, as I wasn't able to do it in previous years, I told myself that I had almost nothing to lose and that I was going to change things in order to be more natural. And if I can do it again, I think I have a chance of grabbing a victory. »
What do you think of Sprint races?
« The biggest question mark is how to celebrate a victory on Saturday and still be competitive on Sunday (laughs). I hope this will be the team's biggest problem.
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This year you are reunited with your former team leader Massimo Branchini. How does it work in MotoGP?
« It was really good to meet him again after seven years and the second Moto2 title. He is clearly someone with whom I have worked for many years in Moto2 and obtained good results. Coming to MotoGP in the Ducati fold, it helps to have another vision on what we do, and as somewhere I was kind of stuck, it's good to have a different general vision. And with all his experience, he can definitely give some advice. As for all the new things he undoubtedly has to discover and learn with the Ducati, he receives full support from all the engineers, because there is an incredible staff at Ducati working on every detail of the bike. He has full support from them, so he really has a lot of experience of a lot of things, and then for the details he gets support from all the boys at Ducati. For the moment, we are having fun and we want to have this control more and more throughout the season »
Do you see Francesco Bagnaia as an opponent like any other, or as a natural leader at Ducati, without necessarily team instructions?
« When you start the season, there are no team instructions at all and no driver has this feeling that he is the leader and that we must be behind him. In the test, if you just look at the ranking, yes, but you don't get that feeling because we all want to take our chance. Anyway, at Ducati there is the VR46, Bezzecchi, Marini and Pecco, who are used to working together, and you can see and feel that they are very strong and used to being very competitive to fight each other on the track, while being very friendly off the track.
So for the moment, nothing, and we hope... We will see at the end of the season what the situation may be, but for the moment it's the last of the thoughts we have. »
