After those of Sepang and Buriram, during these tests in Losail we are resuming 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…
Johann zarco: “For this third day, I am happy to have finished in the lead. It's really good for the team and for me, because it brings confidence and smiles. Knowing that by doing this good work and maintaining our method, I can improve, that satisfies me. Simply, when I tried to find my running rhythm, I was slow. Very regular but too slow. We know why. We still have the race weekend to prepare for a better pace. After three days of testing, I didn't want to make any mistakes and maybe stayed a little too calm for this race pace. »
You say you know why you were slower. For what ?
“I know why because when you go to the race you are in a very aggressive state of mind, ready to fight. And when I went out to do these long runs, I was a little tired, and after I had this good time, I was happy and I just wanted to finish the day. So I did the work, but I think maybe we could have found a few tenths on the bike, but also a few tenths from me (laughs). »
Do you think that the experience you have gained over the last 12 months will prevent you from making the same mistake at the first Grand Prix, and perhaps even winning it this year?
“(Laughs) When I did my race simulation, I thought “first of all, do six laps already” (laughs). Then, when I did these six laps, I was already happy (laughs) and I was able to continue. So I'm gradually trying to forget this moment because I still think about it when passing turn #2 because of last year's race. But the experience gained since then has been fantastic, I understand the Yamaha and its electronics well, and I can really say a lot to my team, and I'm very happy with that. »
Pre-season testing is now complete. What are you going to do now when you get home until the race?
“You can’t disconnect. You're preparing your mind and body for the start of the season, and it's only two weeks from now until it starts. So I will relax to have full body power in two weeks, but the mind will remain connected. »
Yesterday you said that you were missing a few tenths to think about victory. Do you think you acquired them today?
“Right now, if you look at everything, I don’t think so. It would be too easy to say yes and I want to tell the truth. If we just consider this race pace, no. But to be able to go to this limit and do this time, it shows that we have potential for victory. We just need to manage everything well. »
Can you tell us a word about the wet test?
“Regarding the rain, I think now all the drivers are ready to ride. The question mark was about the vision and how well we can see the track in the wet, but it was pretty good and won't be a problem for us. On the subject of grip, I was able to gain confidence to go fast by taking the bike for a few laps. And even if it rains here, with the high temperatures and the hot track, we will never have a completely wet track. I think it would dry quickly. So this wet test was really an emergency for Sunday. We are ready. »
#QatarTest MotoGP Losail J.3: Chronos
1. Johann Zarco, Yamaha, 1:54,029 min
2. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, +0,247 sec
3. Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati, +0,302
4. Cal Crutchlow, Honda, +0,428
5. Maverick Vinales, Yamaha, +0,442
6. Marc Marquez, Honda, +0,562
7. Alex Rins, Suzuki, +0,621
8. Danilo Petrucci, Ducati, +0,630
9. Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati, +0,663
10. Jack Miller, Ducati, +0,720
11. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, +0,745
12. Franco Morbidelli, Honda, +1,103
13. Bradley Smith, KTM, +1,150
14. Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia, +1,203
15. Hafizh Syahrin, Yamaha, +1,244
16. Karel Abraham, Ducati, +1,271
17. Álvaro Bautista, Ducati, +1,318
18. Tito Rabat, Ducati, +1,436
19. Pol Espargaro, KTM, +1,460
20. Scott Redding, Aprilia, +1,566
21. Takaaki Nakagami, Honda, +1,734
22. Xavier Siméon, Ducati, +1,914
23. Tom Lüthi, Honda, +2,093
#QatarTest MotoGP Losail: Cumulative times
1. Johann Zarco, Yamaha, 1:54,029 min
2. Valentino Rossi, Yamaha, +0,247 sec
3. Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati, +0,302
4. Cal Crutchlow, Honda, +0,428
5. Maverick Vinales, Yamaha, +0,442
6. Andrea Iannone, Suzuki, +0,557
7. Marc Marquez, Honda, +0,562
8. Alex Rins, Suzuki, +0,621
9. Danilo Petrucci, Ducati, +0,630
10. Jorge Lorenzo, Ducati, +0,663
11. Jack Miller, Ducati, +0,720
12. Dani Pedrosa, Honda, +0,745
13. Franco Morbidelli, Honda, +1,103
14. Bradley Smith, KTM, +1,150
15. Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia, +1,203
16. Hafizh Syahrin, Yamaha, +1,244
17. Karel Abraham, Ducati, +1,271
18. Álvaro Bautista, Ducati, +1,318
19. Tito Rabat, Ducati, +1,436
20. Pol Espargaro, KTM, +1,460
21. Takaaki Nakagami, Honda, +1,510
22. Scott Redding, Aprilia, +1,566
23. Xavier Siméon, Ducati, +1,914
24. Tom Lüthi, Honda, +2,093
25. Mika Kallio, KTM, +3,189
