This Saturday August 28, 2021, Johann zarco answered questions from journalists from the Silverstone circuit, at the end of the second day of the MotoGP British Grand Prix during which the Pramac Racing rider qualified in 9th position.
We went to listen (via teleconferencing software) to the words of the French driver who is in 4th place in the championship.
As usual, we report here the words of Johann zarco without the slightest formatting, even if it is partially translated (vouvoiement in English, tutoiement in French).
Johann zarco : " Today was a better day. Unfortunately, it was difficult to go much faster. I was happy to come out of Q1 and set a good time in this session. I couldn't do it again in Q2 because I didn't want to make the slightest mistake, and when you simply have a hesitation you immediately lose a few tenths. Maybe I could have caught the second line but I couldn't have gone much faster. The feeling was a little better today but the bad start yesterday didn't help me to perform much better today. At least we gathered some good information during FP4 which I hope will help for the race tomorrow. »
The run you did with the hard rear tire looked good. Have you made your decision for tomorrow?
« Yes, I think I'll go with the tough one. It should be a tiny bit warmer tomorrow, so that will help make that decision. The feeling with the hard was quite interesting, but maybe, as I generally lacked speed this weekend, we can have a little less speed than the others but have a better average. »
You say you lack speed. What kind of barrier are you facing?
« When I say that we lack speed, like this morning when I missed Q2 but only by a few tenths, and this afternoon the 1'59.2 in Q1, it's once again a few tenths from pole Espargaró's position. So it's hard to say if there is specifically one area that's down and other areas that are positive, because it's very close. But it's a general feeling and this weekend I struggled with the movements of the bike when exiting corners. And here is a place where you need the passing speed. Normally, this is an area where I am strong but here I was not able to use this speed of passage well because I struggle a little too much with the movements. This is why I have been struggling since yesterday. »
Did you see your teammate do 58.0 before it was canceled, and what did you think then?
« (Laughs) I believed in it because Martín can surprise us (laughs). But clearly, seeing that 58.0, I thought I was a second and a half slower and I had to push a lot to do 59.5, so I asked myself what I could do better to gain that second and half. I can't say it worried me but I was very impressed and I believed in it because he can have this ability. Then I understood and when I saw the cancellation I felt a little better (laughs). »
Despite your position on the grid, do you feel more capable of getting involved in the fight at the front?
« I hope ! I hope because the race is 19 or 20 laps tomorrow. Either way, everyone will be in a bit of trouble. There is still Fabio who is really above the rest. To have. There is still this power of the Ducati which really helps to be able to position yourself and overtake. So we have to hope to do good things, and the feeling on the Hard tire was interesting. I hope that this will really give me that consistency that I lacked yesterday. Today, she was already a little better, and consistency also means ease. So yes, I hope I can be in the good group tomorrow. »
Does the Ducati require more adaptation from one circuit to another than what you experienced previously?
« No. It responds pretty much the same all the time. I know how to adapt to it. It's trying to go beyond and perhaps be able to change things to adapt differently, which created difficulties for me. But the motorcycle still has behavior that is often repeated. Afterwards, it's true that sometimes there are tires or conditions which mean that we are perhaps a little more sensitive than others, but it's not certain. In any case, the behavior is repeated often. »
You were counting on Austria to regain points from Fabio. It didn't go as you imagined. You say that Fabio has something more and it becomes more and more complicated for your conquest of the title. Does that change the way you approach the end of the season?
« I need to get it out of my head because I put too much pressure on myself at the start of the summer. Unconscious or conscious, difficult to say. I wanted to move on quickly to better compete with Fabio, and the milestone didn't happen that quickly. You must therefore know how to gain height on what to aim for. Afterwards, I don't want to say that we lose hope: Lots of things can happen. But Fabio manages to maintain his rank, and me in the phase of evolution that I consider myself to be, there is a need for more time or analysis on many things. »
How do the performances of your teammate Jorge Martín affect you? Does it motivate you or take a blow to the head when you realize that you are no longer the leader of the Ducati family?
« No, no worries about that. It can always be motivation but I must not forget that I must continue to do what I do best. And my technique requires longer adaptation. Jorge is good at that, and we have a different style anyway. But for that, there are no worries about it and it's even very good that he is so strong, that he has already won, but clearly I have to be smart so as not to lose the thread, because the evolution is interesting and the information that I can give the Ducati is always really interesting. »
Does having access to this data help you to be able to develop your driving?
« Yes, it helps. It helps but ultimately copy/paste never really works when it comes to driving, and I'm not even talking about the settings. Because there are still different styles, and my style can pay off and that's where I must not deviate from my feelings which are often good and which can still evolve. »
MotoGP British Grand Prix Qualifying 2 results:
MotoGP British Grand Prix Qualifying 1 results:
Credit rankings: MotoGP.com
