On the occasion of this first Grand Prix at Losail, we are perpetuating our habit of referring to you in full the words of Johann Zarco, in a raw way, therefore without any journalistic formatting or distortion.
Alongside the sometimes slightly formatted communication of traditional press releases, the exchanges between the French rider and the journalists in the hospitality of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team are of a richness and simplicity that true enthusiasts will appreciate (you can find all his past debriefings in our section “Interviews").
There is always the little detail that immerses us more every day in the world of MotoGP…
In Spanish…
“In the end, I am very happy with this race because I had a lot of control. I'm very happy because I stayed in the lead for many laps, until 5 laps from the finish. I had a problem with the front tire on the right. A problem that never appeared during testing, but which has now been confirmed by Michelin and my team. In these conditions, finishing 8th is good because, before, I was able to keep control of the race and wait for the other drivers to pass me to fight. This is a very positive sign. For the technical problem encountered today, after 9 laps, I started to feel that everything was not perfect, then it was impossible to keep up the pace when I had to fight. Finishing 8th with this technical problem and scoring 8 points means that the concentration is there, and I am happy with everything this first weekend. »
Didn't this front tire problem come from the start of the race where you attacked?
" No ! Of course not because when I was in the lead, I didn't feel very fast and so I didn't push much. If I had been with the others, I think it could have been better because I would have had to push harder to overtake. So I think my initial pace was good, and that it wasn't the cause of the problem with the tire. »
There was a pretty hot moment when Marc overtook you…
“At every MotoGP race, the Ducati is always stronger in 6th gear. She overtook me but I also knew that Marc was there. I didn't know where, but he was there. When we braked, I saw Marc a little on the limit and I thought he could go a little wide. I then dove inside to overtake him but he was outside. It was a great battle. I wanted to fight during the last 5 laps, but I couldn't because the tire was slipping a lot. »
It’s a better start to the championship…
" Let's hope so. It is the objective. Pole position, many laps in the lead, and maybe I could have gotten the win in the end. »
In English…
“I must be happy. I was happy to lead the race for many laps, but also happy because the control was good. It wasn't fast enough for me to escape, and so I was waiting for my opponents to pass me to try to beat me. But in the end, I was able to stay ahead. I enjoyed this moment because I had good control of traction with the rear grip. But after 8 or 9 laps, I felt strange sensations with the front. I wasn't worried because I thought maybe my opponents had the same problem. So I waited, then, 5 laps from the end, this problem with the front tire got worse and when they overtook, I couldn't fight because it was slipping too much. I was going into the corners and if I wanted to turn, the bike was slipping and was on the verge of falling. So I had to hold on and try to maintain my position, but my pace dropped too much. But I think I can be satisfied to finish 8th with a technical problem like that. So I appreciate having led the race, and having led it in this way makes me think that, when everything is good for the duration of the race, I will fight for victory. »
You don't seem too disappointed. Pole position, you lead the race and yet you only earn 8 points…
“I can't be disappointed because I gave my best, I did what I could do, I did the job, and when a Michelin technician and my team tell me something went wrong , that means that, OK, the pilot's job has been done. When you go shopping, this can happen. This is why I keep my smile. Anyway, 8th place when you have a problem means you are competitive. I led the race, and maybe I was slow, but no one overtook me, so that means I was good today. »
The overtaking took place at the end of the straight…
“It was a “moment” of the race. Dovizioso overtook me on the straight, then we started to brake and Marc arrived. And you know Marc, he is capable of doing fantastic things. He went a little wide and I immediately dove inside to try to recover my position, but he held his position and kept the advantage at turn #2. I wanted to continue fighting, but with this front tire problem, I couldn't, and from that moment, with 5 laps to go, I had to accept to save what I could. »
Your front tire was a medium. Is this the cause of the problem?
“I think the medium tire was the right choice. Usually, during the weekend, I'm not the type of driver who complains about having, for the same type of tires, bad and good ones. It's not just my feeling since it's too easy to say you have a technical problem when you have a problem, but when the Michelin technician and your team tell you something is wrong, then you can be happy of your race. »
What was wrong with that front tire?
“He was slipping... just, he was slipping. You enter the corner, and instead of turning, you widen, and if you want to force it, you can fall. It was that kind of problem. »
Was it difficult from the beginning or did it get worse towards the end?
“It was much worse towards the end of the race, but I had a warning from 7 or 8 laps onwards. I worried about these strange sensations, wondering if it was too cold or if the others were having the same problem, and so I led and waited to see what happened. And I saw that the others kept their rhythm while I couldn't. »
During this good race, what were the good moments?
“I like when you say it was a good race (laughs). The start was a good moment because I executed it well. I saw Pedrosa then Marc who were moving a little and had to slow down, and I immediately took the lead. It was one of the good times. Doing more than 6 laps was also a good moment, because I was a little worried thinking about last year. Maybe I had a limit of 6 rounds (laughs) and I did more. And the last good moment was when Dovizioso passed me and, at the same time, Marc. We started to fight, but only for two turns since I wasn't able to stay with them. So yes, I would say there were 3 good moments. »
In French…
“A great race! A small technical problem, small or big, it depends on how you interpret it. My front tire had a problem on the right. I was happy to lead the race. I couldn't go any faster and leave to get ahead, but as long as I was first, it was good. I was perhaps waiting for the others to pass me so that we could fight, but in any case, in the meantime, I had a lot of control over my traction with my rear tire. I'm happy because I had good control over the bike. And finally, 5 laps from the end, I was really in difficulty, and when Dovizioso and Marc passed me, I felt this difficulty even more. Because, when it came to fighting, my bike no longer responded well at all. So we had to downgrade little by little, but ultimately, finishing 8th with this problem is good! I think that leading races and feeling more and more comfortable at the front of the Grands Prix will allow me to win. So, lots of fun since Saturday afternoon. It's nothing but happiness, especially Saturday evening, and still today. To go all the way and forget this fall a year ago is already huge. »
Yesterday you said you didn't quite have the race pace for victory. Did you find anything this morning at Warm up?
" Yes ! With Guy and the suspension technician, we found some things. This is really what allowed me to control this traction of the rear tire, because I was in front, and I sometimes had the feeling of not being very fast. And finally, when I saw the times at the end of the race, I was completely in the game. And like I say, if you're in the lead and you feel like you're slow but no one is passing you, you must not be so bad after all. »
Those extra 500 engine revs, does that really help you?
" Yes Yes Yes ! I think it helps. Even if the Ducati passes me, because we know they are good at that. I was surprised to overtake Márquez on the first lap but I had the feeling that he was perhaps at the limit in terms of fuel consumption. Or maybe he didn't want to lead the race because he knows he's so hot that with his hard tire, he might have preferred to lead behind. In my opinion, yes, it's certain that he had to cut to manage his consumption during the first 2 or 3 rounds to be sure to go to the end. »
When you start to feel the front tire slipping, how do you compensate?
“Actually, I go slower. You accelerate less on the corner, and the fact of accelerating less, the bike immediately takes its direction less well and everything becomes worse and worse. »
What's surprising is that when you drop your pace, the others immediately increase theirs by almost 1/2 second. How do you explain that?
“I explain that, especially Marc and Dovi, more than Valentino, they know what they have and so they were really in management. It seems like the Qatar race is a little complicated every year and it's a big question mark every time at race time. As they know their potential, they wait. And finally, when they accelerated, yes it went to 1'55.2, but with Guy we analyzed that without this effect of the tire, and compared to what we had seen at the Warm up, I could have held on the pace in 1'55.7 and be in the game. »
Vinales came back like a ball at the end of the race, without the wings. Could this be an explanation for your front tire?
“No, not at all, because I'm not a driver who complains that there are good tires and bad tires for the same type, but here, today, that's what's happening. happened. On the contrary, I think the aerodynamic downforce was beneficial today, because it was pretty good in acceleration and I had confidence up front. Because even though I slipped, I finally finished my race. »
Without this technical problem, do you think you could win?
“When I was in the lead, I believed in it, that’s clear. And even when both passed, I still believed in it. Well, it only lasted 3 corners and when Rossi passed me, maybe I was thinking less about victory. I was on the verge of falling and had to accept a downgrade. »
