The Frenchman finished the first day in the top 10 and hopes to confirm tomorrow with a good qualification.
Johann zarco started the last Grand Prix of the season in a positive way by finishing in the top 10 in the combined times standings, in addition to finishing ahead of his teammate Cal Crutchlow. Things are therefore going in the right direction at the end of this first day in Valencia, however the Frenchman feels that he can do even better.
“I’m happy with my day and happy to finish in the top 10, it’s great”, he commented. “I was quite happy at the end of the session to have been able to take a big step forward in terms of times with the soft tyre. It really helps a lot to be in the top 10, it means we worked well from the morning. We tried to preserve the good tires, and we worked to not get carried away by the bike and place it the way I would like and the way it should be in each corner. And then when we switched to the soft tire I gained seven tenths. It was positive, but I think we can go even faster. »
For the moment automatically qualified in Q2, it will however be necessary to confirm during FP3 in order to ensure this position, and this will not be easy since many of them are fast and able to enter the top 10 . “It’s possible to improve the times tomorrow”, Zarco continued. “A lot of riders will be fast, there are risks of falling but we will have to be faster despite the cold. You have to be directly in Q2, it's always fundamental. »
“To be there you will have to be below 1'31 in my opinion because it will go quickly. The bike and tires have the capacity to be at least 1'30.5, like a lot of people, but it will be cold so it may as well as not do it and that's the tricky part. We'll have to do it anyway because I don't think 1'31.3 is enough to qualify, unless it rains. »
MotoGP Valencia J1: times
| 1 | 20 | Fabio QUARTARARO | Yamaha | 1'30.735 | ||
| 2 | 12 | Maverick VIÑALES | Yamaha | 1'30.883 | 0.148 | 0.148 |
| 3 | 93 | Marc MÁRQUEZ | Honda | 1'30.974 | 0.239 | 0.091 |
| 4 | 43 | Jack Miller | Ducati | 1'31.000 | 0.265 | 0.026 |
| 5 | 21 | Frank MORBIDELLI | Yamaha | 1'31.199 | 0.464 | 0.199 |
| 6 | 42 | Alex RINS | Suzuki | 1'31.230 | 0.495 | 0.031 |
| 7 | 36 | Joan Mir | Suzuki | 1'31.280 | 0.545 | 0.050 |
| 8 | 41 | Aleix ESPARGARÓ | Aprilia | 1'31.305 | 0.570 | 0.025 |
| 9 | 4 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati | 1'31.351 | 0.616 | 0.046 |
| 10 | 5 | johann zarco | Honda | 1'31.369 | 0.634 | 0.018 |
| 11 | 35 | Cal Crutchlow | Honda | 1'31.433 | 0.698 | 0.064 |
| 12 | 9 | Danilo PETRUCCI | Ducati | 1'31.455 | 0.720 | 0.022 |
| 13 | 51 | Michael PIRRO | Ducati | 1'31.765 | 1.030 | 0.310 |
| 14 | 46 | Valentino ROSSI | Yamaha | 1'31.775 | 1.040 | 0.010 |
| 15 | 63 | Francesco Bagnaia | Ducati | 1'31.868 | 1.133 | 0.093 |
| 16 | 99 | Jorge Lorenzo | Honda | 1'31.880 | 1.145 | 0.012 |
| 17 | 44 | Pol ESPARGARÓ | KTM | 1'31.905 | 1.170 | 0.025 |
| 18 | 53 | Tito RABAT | Ducati | 1'32.159 | 1.424 | 0.254 |
| 19 | 17 | Karel ABRAHAM | Ducati | 1'32.278 | 1.543 | 0.119 |
| 20 | 82 | Mika Kallio | KTM | 1'32.467 | 1.732 | 0.189 |
| 21 | 29 | Andrea Iannone | Aprilia | 1'32.568 | 1.833 | 0.101 |
| 22 | 55 | Hafiz Syahrin | KTM | 1'32.887 | 2.152 | 0.319 |
| 23 | 27 | Iker LECUONA | KTM | 1'33.114 | 2.379 | 0.227 |
