If the time for winter testing is over, it is not yet the same for that of speculation, even for this first round of the MotoGP World Championship which is being held in Qatar, where the riders trained not so long ago. two weeks.
What can you do about it? Johann zarco, for his third season in MotoGP, the first with KTM?
The press release does not even attempt to provide the slightest element of answer to this question, contenting itself with revisiting the past in a rather succinct manner.
Johann zarco : “I raced for the first time at Losail in 2009, so ten years ago. I remember leading the race here in Moto2 and then I had a mechanical problem and had to finish the race in third gear and missed out on victory! My first race in MotoGP was also good. It's a fast track and, of course, what makes it special is riding at night. It's also the first race, so the pressure is different: you're starting a long season here, but when you get to the end, you always have the impression that it's gone by very quickly since that first moment.”
Even if the approach has its limits, let's look at the past to try to get an idea of the days to come, starting with the very close past of the MotoGP winter tests on the Losail circuit.
Johann zarco concluded the latter in 19th position out of 23, 1,5 seconds behind Maverick Vinales.
Ouch! Let's be honest, no matter how much we turn the problem around, say without really believing it that the French driver didn't really attack at the limit or that he used fewer soft tires than the others, that stings. little…
However, it would surprise us if the French driver had to be content with such a place in the race, even if Mike leitner, the Red Bull KTM team manager is deliberately very cautious: “The aim is to reach the top places as much as possible, but we have to be realistic and this is only the third year for us. We always fight against manufacturers who already have many years of experience in this field. We are striving to improve our package in many different aspects and this will of course take some time, but the race is a race and we will always be looking for good results. Doha was a difficult track for us. We started our project here two years ago and that's why we're really happy to see the test times closer than they've ever been to the fastest. I think for the race we can be optimistic and find a good configuration during the four sessions. The problem is that the condition of the track can change from one day to the next. We just have to be open and adapt to what we find. »
Johann zarco nevertheless has some cards to play which could allow it to appear in the middle of the rankings, or even higher.
First of all, he hasn't reached the limit of his bike yet, and his teammate Pol Espargaro, 8th in winter testing just 0,5 seconds behind Maverick Viñales, is there to prove it. There is therefore room for improvement, and it is up to number 5 to reduce this gap as quickly as possible.
For this purpose, Johann zarco will be able to count on his enormous capacity for work (he is very often among those who complete the most laps), unfailing motivation, but also on his attraction for this Qatari track on which he has never won but which has seen performing at least occasionally in MotoGP: 2 years ago by taking the lead in the race after qualifying 4th and last year by obtaining pole position and the absolute circuit record.
To think that the Frenchman could be between 10th and 15th place therefore does not seem totally unreasonable, and this is also what he himself concluded at the end of his 3rd day of off-season testing.
Johann zarco : “I have more information and experience now, I can understand things better. We may have reached our limit and need to work harder and change things to reach the next limit. For my performance, I can only say: I am too slow at the moment, especially regarding this last day. I nevertheless think that the regularity is there. We'll see where we are on the race weekend.
I would say I have problems in the turns. When I started with this bike, it was the entry to the corner. I don't have any curve speed. I don't have a solution for this yet. I feel the bike very well and control it. But I miss the speed in curves. If I want to be faster, it doesn't work, the bike doesn't come. Sometimes I can change things, but it's not exactly what I want. Pol can handle it, I can't. We have a lot of information that will help us try new things in the future.
I have one or two approaches and I know a little more precisely what makes Pol's performance and what is the difference between him and me. Pol's performance on Monday really surprised me and I'm happy for him. But I won't say what conclusions I draw now and what I feel. It was just another day of testing. Motivation is still high. I think the top 10 is possible in the race. It’s not a great performance, but it’s the way to build for the future.”
Previous results:
2018: Q1 C8 (MotoGP)
2017: Q4 C0 (MotoGP)
2016: Q4 C12 (Moto2)
2015: Q2 C8 (Moto2)
2014: Q9 C23 (Moto2)
2013: Q14 C12 (Moto2)
2012: Q19 C12 (Moto2)
2011: Q7 C6 (125cc)
2010: Q11 C12 (125cc)
2009: Q14 C15 (125cc)
