MotoGP – Interview Johann Zarco: “Podium goal in each race to earn an official motorcycle” – Used YAMAHA

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Interview Johann Zarco: "Objective on the podium in each race to earn an official motorcycle"

MotoGP - Interview Johann Zarco: `` Objective for the podium in each race to earn an official motorcycle '' - Used YAMAHA

Never has a beginner fielded by a private team made such a good start to the season in MotoGP as Johann Zarco on the Yamaha M1 Tech3! MNC takes advantage of the summer break to take stock of the exciting journey of the Cannes driver, currently 6th in the 2017 championship with five forays into the top 5, including a splendid second place in France. Interview.

Italy has Valentino Rossi, in France the new star of motorcycle speed is called Johann Zarco! At almost 27 years old (this Sunday, July 16!), The MotoGP category is splashed with his talent, with an incredible adaptation and speed for a novice, on a private motorcycle, moreover. Ironically, the Tech3 rider is running for the place of the nine-time transalpine world champion in the official Yamaha team (if he is released at the end of 2018), with the aim of winning the supreme title !

  • MNC of June 21, 2017 : Johann Zarco aims for MotoGP title on Rossi’s Yamaha !
  • MNC of June 30, 2017 : Valentino Rossi will continue in MotoGP if he is still competitive in 2018

And yet at the start, no one expected Johann Zarco at such a party for his first steps at the top of motorcycle racing, neither his rivals nor his team: "our ambitions were to be in the Top 10, with a bang when the circumstances were right ", admits Herve Poncharal, below right, happy manager of the private French structure Tech3.

MotoGP - Interview Johann Zarco:

But these "bursts" occur almost in every race for Johann, 6th in the championship at mid-season and first private rider with 84 points on the clock behind the official motorcycles of Marquez (129 points), Viñales (124), Dovizioso (123), Rossi (119) and Pedrosa (103)! The height of happiness for the Var team: Jonas Folger follows his French teammate in 7th place, with two sixth places to his credit and above all a magnificent second place behind Marc Marquez for his ! 

Meteoric beginnings for Zarco-corico !

For Johann Zarco, everything started with a bang in Qatar: the tricolor rookie emerged from his 4th place on the grid to take control of the opening race for six laps before falling, sowing confusion among the leaders including Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales on factory Yamaha. A rather unexpected feat insofar as the French had certainly been fast during the winter tests, but never enough to seek the outposts.

  • Qatar GP – Zarco : 
  • Americas GP – Zarco : ""

Fifth in Argentina then in Austin, the Tech3 driver then climbs up a notch in Jerez (4th) before winning the cup at home, at Le Mans: carried by his audience, Johann Zarco finishes the French Grand Prix in second place behind Viñales, after having again led the first laps (seven in all) thanks to a daring choice of soft tires which will become his trademark.

In addition, too, a certain sense of panache, since he does not hesitate to jostle the cracks like Valentino Rossi! At the risk of annoying the transalpine star: "", got upset the "Doctor"…

Seventh in Italy and fifth in Catalonia, Laurent Fellon’s protege then made a small error in strategy on the sometimes dry and sometimes wet track of the Netherlands – very excusable in view of his lack of experience in the premier category – which earned him finish 14th following a return to the pit too early and of questionable utility.

MotoGP - Interview Johann Zarco: `` Objective for the podium in each race to earn an official motorcycle '' - Used YAMAHA

In Germany, where the first part of the 2017 season ended at the beginning of July, Johann Zarco signed ninth place, 21 seconds behind the winner Marc Marquez, after however having risen like a cannonball from his distant 19th position on the grid! A new feat given the narrow nature of the Sachsenring circuit, which makes overtaking particularly difficult. 

MNC met with the native of Cannes in the wake of this German Grand Prix on the occasion of the first Blu Cru Camp in Alès (30), a very interesting training course for young speed and motocross riders Yamaha. Interview.

  • MNC report at Blu Cru Camp : Yamaha is forming its camp well

Interview: mid-term update with Johann Zarco

Site: You’ve probably heard this question at least 100 times, but were you sincerely expecting such a debut in the premier class of Grand Prix? ?

Johann Zarco, Tech3 rider in MotoGP : No, I didn’t expect to perform so well from the start of the season. But it is however the objective which must be aimed: to be on the front of the stage and to fight for the podiums and the victories. So much the better if it happens from my debut in the category, because it allows attacking at a high level … and from there to aim even higher ! 

M.-N.C. : Your MotoGP debuts are the best ever made by a beginner aligned by a private structure, even better than those of Ben Spies at Tech3 in 2009 and especially than Casey Stoner at Honda-LCR in 2006! Doing stronger than the famous double Australian MotoGP world champion, that causes no ?! This is something that you are proud of ?

J. Z.: Not particularly proud, no. It’s great, obviously, these are good references. But for me it is even more a sign that I must not relax, because there is something that I can catch, but if I think I have arrived, I will never make it.

MotoGP - Interview Johann Zarco:

MNC: In Moto2, the category in which you are the first to have won two consecutive titles, your strength lies in your optimal management of the tires which allowed you to forget your opponents at the end of the race. In MotoGP, it seems to be the other way around: your kicks into action are incredibly quick, but the second part is sometimes trickier. Is it due to the higher power of the MotoGP, less obvious to manage, or to the Michelin tires (Dunlop in Moto2) ?

J. Z.: The tires are different, in fact: in Moto2, all the riders run with the same tires, while in MotoGP it is possible to make different choices. My feelings have been good so far with the softer tires, which allowed me to start strong and ultimately not too badly to finish my races. My opponents, them, could not complete the Grand Prix with the same choice of tires! However, looking back half a season, I now try to work with my team both on the settings and on my driving to be able to use a little harder tires in order to be strong from start to finish. end. 

MNC: Your smooth riding allows you to use softer fork settings than official Yamaha riders, which would explain why you are often able to switch to softer tires. How your settings differ from the official M1s, knowing that you can compare the data for an equal bike by taking the data from last year ?

J. Z.: I have no idea, I do not look at the technique at all. I give my information and I let the team do. I go for it and to each his own !

MNC: Three times already (Austin, Jerez and Assen), you have been in contact with the same driver, Valentino Rossi, of whom you have however often said you are a big fan. Is it a pure coincidence or a way – even unconscious – to make your place among the elite ?

J. Z.: I would rather say the second explanation, to find a place with the tenors. Of course, Valentino is an idol, but if you have a block on that, you can drag it out for a long time. Consequently, I am happy to have managed to get over it and to have tried maneuvers, even if it means going into contact, because this allows me to "program" myself so as to always be able to fight with the leading men.

MotoGP - Interview Johann Zarco: `` Objective for the podium in each race to earn an official motorcycle '' - Used YAMAHA

MNC: Interviewed by an Italian colleague, Rossi said with a laugh that he was going to send you the invoice for his wetsuit after contacting Assen! Did he do it and if so, would you reimburse him for the costs or do you feel that you have absolutely nothing to blame yourself because it was just a matter of racing ?

J. Z.: No (smiles) … On the other hand, I saw this "amicable finding" and it made me laugh! There is no question of invoice, anyway: we are all helped by our sponsors, him by Dainese and me by Furygan. But if that had been the case, I might have given him a fluorescent yellow pen to touch up his jumpsuit. !

MNC: You recently announced your long-term intentions to run for the MotoGP title, and why not with Rossi’s bike whose contract with Yamaha expires at the end of 2018 but which could well continue if it is still competitive … Have there already been initial contacts with Yamaha in this direction? Lin Jarvis, the official team boss, did he offer you anything if your results continued to follow? ?

  • MNC of June 21, 2017 : Johann Zarco aims for MotoGP title on Rossi’s Yamaha !
  • MNC of June 30, 2017 : Valentino Rossi will continue in MotoGP if he is still competitive in 2018 

J. Z.: Not especially. For now, I’m fully focused on my job with Tech3, with whom everything is going well and with whom I have already re-signed for next year and that’s important. With this package at my disposal, I already have the opportunity to be on the podiums in each race: it’s up to me to achieve this goal and then earn an official motorcycle..

MNC: Cal Crutchlow recently renewed his contract with LCR, but with direct support from HRC. Did an arrangement along those lines interest you, namely getting back a factory M1 while staying at Tech3 where you seem to thrive? A French team, what’s more !

J. Z.: Yes, that could be a great option. To see … I still think it is still early to talk about it, because we have just spent the mid-season of my first year in MotoGP. When my goals are achieved, we can really address this issue.

MotoGP - Interview Johann Zarco: `` Objective for the podium in each race to earn an official motorcycle '' - Used YAMAHA

MNC: Along with your career as a pilot, you and your manager Laurent Fellon manage a driving school, the objective of which is to bring young people to the highest level of motorcycle competition. Why did you start this activity ?

J. Z.: We started to ride a few young people in 2012, in particular school friends of Laurent’s son (Lorenzo Fellon, who also drives at speed, Editor’s note). At the time, we wanted to find ways to train them at reduced costs, and the adventure started like that. We then came to the conclusion that we could instill a working method in them, because motorcycle sport requires method. Laurent said to himself: "since I did it with Johann, why not with others?"

Two years later, in 2014, our pilots took part in their first competition and now the school has grown. It revolves around two categories: the PW50 Cup and the ZFM 150 Cup. The latter is contested on 150 cc 4-stroke and is aimed at over 10 years old, to start training on motorcycles with gearbox. of speeds. Our goal is to help France get back on track towards motorcycle racing, and show that it is not necessary to use the most expensive motorcycles.. 

MNC: At the age of 15, I believe, you took your scooter to join Laurent Fellon with whom you had developed a very structured method, more focused on the means of obtaining results than on the results themselves. same. With two titles in Moto2 and your debut in MotoGP, it seems to be working well! Do you think that your methods can be transposed to all types of profiles? Or should you have, like you, a great desire to work and a lot of humility ?

J. Z.: I am not the only one in this case, all the high level champions are humble and have worked a lot. And they are still working hard to stay on top! For my part, it was at 17 that I took my scooter to go to Laurent because I wanted to totally invest myself in the motorcycle, even if it means not having my baccalaureate. It worked for me, but I do not advise everyone to follow this path and sacrifice their studies: by creating good structures, it is possible to combine school and sport. Why not even, if ZF Grands Prix continues to grow, to follow a sport-study course…

MotoGP - Interview Johann Zarco: `` Objective for the podium in each race to earn an official motorcycle '' - Used YAMAHA

MNC: You lived with Laurent for a long time to devote yourself fully to your career, with all the sacrifices that that implies in terms of social life or relationships with a possible girlfriend … What about today? ? 

J. Z.: Well, "Jojo" has grown up (smile)! I took my independence three years ago, I have a social life, but I am still very close to Laurent and everything is going very well. Granted, it was a lot of sacrifice, but it was worth it for what I got afterwards. This experience made me grow enormously.

Interview by Alexandre BARDIN

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