Johann Zarco finished 16th in the sprint of the Dutch Grand Prix and hopes to finish in the top-15 this Sunday. The Frenchman is doing his best despite the difficulties encountered by all the Honda riders.
Interview with Johann Zarco in Assen.
The sprint race: “I’m glad I took the medium, it confirms that my feeling was pretty good about the choice of tire. I couldn’t have done better with the soft. I only used the medium in FP1 but it wasn’t so bad. Now I see that it went pretty well. The problem with the soft is that I had too many vibrations. I had some with the medium but a little less. It’s a way of preparing for tomorrow’s race, so as not to be surprised by choosing a medium and perhaps making a mistake. And because we know that for the moment, 9th place is not possible in a sprint race. The sprint race is still testing.”
16th today, top-15 on Sunday? “Yes. On Friday I said that if I had a pace around 1’33.6, it could be good. There, we did everything in 33.3 and even 33.1, so faster than expected. In that respect it’s not bad, it’s a sign that in terms of sport, I gave the right energy. But we can see that a pace in the low 1’33s doesn’t lead anywhere. It’s still too far. If there’s a way to do several laps below 1’33, then there’s a way to go and get points tomorrow.”
When you say you need a new motorcycle project, have we given you dates? “We know there will be a few changes in September. They are trying things: engine, chassis, I think the aero too. They are trying, in any case it is a whole package. But it is curious that the potential that I could imagine at the beginning of the year has finally reached a limit too quickly. When I see the others, I see that we cannot do the same things. We do not turn the same, the bike does not grip in the same places, and it is difficult because we do not have the track yet, there is always a second delay.”
Francesco Bagnaia above the lot: “Impressed with Pecco. Really. With the others pushing, Martin who is in his own way, Marquez who is coming stronger and stronger, you feel that he has raised the level again but still being super serene and with style… He doesn’t force it. It’s superb to see and should be taken as an example. Even on a less good bike, I still have to go for that because it will allow me to evolve personally. »
Motivated by Marquez’s announcement to reassert himself as boss of the peloton? ” Yes it’s possible. Of course there must be ego like that and it’s competition. But on the one hand, it’s almost like, ‘I’m using my advantage while I have it,’ because maybe if Marquez gets even more comfortable… Because Marquez still has that Something that the others don’t have is that he’s not afraid of anything. The fall he made in qualifying is crazy. He will always have that, but if in addition he takes a margin, a riding, because he manages the Ducati better, he will play for his 9th title. »
Suzuka, a way to regain the feeling of playing for the podium? “Yes, even Honda wants me to have that spirit, they know that it gives a breath of fresh air and that it can do good. I like it because concentrating on winning helps to find a little of that attention to detail and that tension to do things well. And then, you have to bring it back even when you’re fighting for a 15th place here. That’s what I try to do but sometimes, when the races come one after the other, you can lose it a little because it’s human to feel like you’re fighting for a 15th place, it motivates less while I always feel motivated, but the different challenge, like an extra quality training, I like it. It’s cool to say to yourself: “I’m concentrating on winning”. And Honda, that’s what they want.”
