Argentinian GP 2019: Zarco (15th): "I’m lucky to finish 15th"

15th with a small point at the finish, Johann Zarco leaves Argentina after another difficult Grand Prix … The hopes of Top 10 are not yet relevant for the French driver who nevertheless seeks to remain optimistic. Debriefing.

Johann Zarco, KTM (18th in qualifying and 15th in race)

"I struggled a lot throughout the race. I almost touched Lorenzo at the start, which relegated me almost to last place (the Mallorcan had by mistake engaged his speed limiter for the pits, which explains his start catastrophic and the inconvenience caused to the other pilots including Johann, editor’s note). I had a good feeling on the first eight laps but I did not manage to overtake my competitors, then it became more and more difficult to drive the motorbike".

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• Argentinian GP :
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"I spent a lot of energy to get in the points and I was passed by two drivers, so in the end I’m lucky to finish 15th. It’s difficult these kinds of races. right now I can’t drive as I would like but we will work hard with the team to adapt. Later we will have new parts to test.

Pol (Espargaro, Editor’s note) and Miguel (Oliveira, Editor’s note) had a good race, so if I can at least get closer to them or be the first KTM rider, it will be satisfying. But to get closer to the outposts, we will have to do something else. I want to stay as optimistic as possible and I know that everything we are going through right now will make me stronger ".

Site Analysis : Lucid, Johann Zarco knows that it is necessary to remain positive and not lose hope in order to reach his Top 10 objective … and, the French driver therefore totals two points and is in 19th place in the standings. Far from his ambitions, therefore, even though Pol Espargaro won the first Top 10 of the season for the Orange brand and occupies the same position in the provisional.

More than the raw result, it is the stagnation of performance that challenges: that Johann finishes behind Espargaro is understandable in view of his superior experience on the RC16. But that he is also beaten by Miguel Oliveira and followed by Hafizh Syahrin is of more concern. Especially since the Portuguese beginner sticks to him for more than 7 seconds on the line with his semi-official bike prepared by Tech3…

Not enough to cheer up the yet very fast Cannes native who appeared tired and dejected on arrival. Everything in his attitude betrayed frustration, a feeling oh so understandable for a pilot of his caliber: last year on this same circuit, Johann finished on the second step of the podium with his Yamaha-Tech3 !

Admittedly, this is only the second race on an atypical circuit, moreover. Johann and his team still need time to find a good direction because by his own admission: "everything I do on the bike does not work", he laments, regretting his inability to put the glove on a good general feeling.

The atmosphere turns orange at KTM

The problem is that the mood in the KTM box already seems to be tense, in part due to the less brilliant than expected results of the new leader and the absence of test driver Dani Pedrosa that the Austrians and Johann are capitalizing on. a lot to advance development.

The n ° 5 has already received a "warning" from Pit Beirer, boss of the MotoGP competition department of KTM, after his first race in Qatar: the Austrian notably called on the French to have more weighting in his remarks, thus underlining the perceptible tension between Johann and his chief mechanic…

"During the Sepang test, Johann said he was more comfortable with the front end," Beirer recalls. "He went a little fast in the work because as of Saturday in Qatar, it was not going any more! His tone had changed somewhat and he became harder. However, it is never pleasant to take observations. . "Hopefully things will improve with the introduction of new coins scheduled for May, as Johann hopes..

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