Author of the eighth fastest time at the end of qualifying, Johann Zarco started eleventh due to a penalty to be served for the San Marino Grand Prix. And it is precisely in this place that the Frenchman finished his race at Misano. He was aiming for a top 10 so the objective was narrowly missed. Said like that, everything seems simple. But in fact, nothing was…
First there was a violent fall during the warm up from the start of the exercise which could not therefore be used to validate the latest technical choices, and in particular that of the tires. Then, the departure was not a real success, since Johann zarco was seventeenth at the end of the first lap. Finally, this eleventh place also came to him due to the falls of the drivers who were driving in front. So much so that in the end, there was nothing to really be satisfied with. And yet, Johann zarco brought back his second best result since joining KTM from Misano. The best score being a tenth position in Catalonia…
« The start of the race was very complicated » begins the teammate Pol Espargaro, seventh in the same race. “ I had the medium rear tire and I didn't feel good with it. I started in the morning in the warmup with it and I fell straight on my first lap, because it was too cold due to the temperature of the track at 9:20 am. »
« I had an unexpected high side. Although I didn't get injured, my ankle hurt a lot afterward. This is why I lost a few places at the start of the race. But then I became faster again and was able to overtake some rivals. It was good to finish the race. Especially after my crash at Silverstone » comments the double Moto2 World Champion.
After crashing with the medium rear tire, the Frenchman thought about starting the race with the soft rear tire: “ we didn't know if he would survive the last eight rounds. That's why we chose the tire that most others had chosen. Compared to most of the opponents, I had mounted the soft front tire in the race. My feeling was very good and I had no problems in the race. »
In four days, the MotoGP riders will meet in Aragón, where the next Grand Prix will be held next weekend. “ I had some problems there last year » recalled Zarco. “ But the KTM performed well there. Before then, I can relax for a few days at home. »
At the end of the 2019 season, the Red Bull KTM rider will change bikes. For 2020, the most realistic option currently is to become a test pilot. “ If I do well, I might be able to return to the MotoGP grid in 2021. I would like to be on a bike that I can win with and that gives me pleasure in racing. I don't feel that with the KTM. If I am a test rider, it would also be important for me to make wildcards at some MotoGP races. »
MotoGP San Marino Misano J3: race classification
| 1 | 93 | Marc MÁRQUEZ | Honda | 42'25.163 |
| 2 | 20 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | +0.903 |
| 3 | 12 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | +1.636 |
| 4 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | +12.660 |
| 5 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | +12.774 |
| 6 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | +13.744 |
| 7 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARÓ | KTM | +20.050 |
| 8 | 36 | Joan Mir | Suzuki | +22.512 |
| 9 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | +26.554 |
| 10 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | +31.456 |
| 11 | 5 | johann zarco | KTM | +32.388 |
| 12 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARÓ | Aprilia | +34.477 |
| 13 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | +35.325 |
| 14 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Honda | +47.247 |
| 15 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | KTM | + 1'02.280 |
| 16 | 88 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | KTM | + 1'07.831 |
| 17 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | + 1'24.666 |
| 18 | 30 | Takaaki NAKAGAMI | Honda | 1 laps |
| Not Classified | ||||
| 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 5 lapses | |
| 51 | Michael PIRRO | Ducati | 6 lapses | |
| 42 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | 12 lapses | |
| 63 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 16 lapses |
