MotoGP – Mercato Moto GP 2016: Johann Zarco remains in Moto2 at Ajo –

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Mercato Moto GP 2016: Johann Zarco remains in Moto2 at Ajo

MotoGP - Mercato Moto GP 2016: Johann Zarco remains in Moto2 at Ajo -

This time, for sure: the French rider Johann Zarco, 25, will not swell the contingent of our French representatives in MotoGP in 2016. Despite the interesting proposal to drive a Honda RCV in the Aspar team, the overwhelming leader of the Moto2 category prefers to stay in its current team, Ajo Motorsport.

This time, for sure: the French rider Johann Zarco, 25, will not increase the contingent of our French representatives in MotoGP in 2016. Despite the interesting proposal to drive one, the overwhelming prefers to stay in his current team, Ajo Motorsport.

"Only a Yamaha Tech3 would have interested us"

After several weeks of negotiations and studies of various proposals (in particular), Johann Zarco and his manager Laurent Fellon announced their decision yesterday.

And as we could foresee in the light of the various declarations of the French duo, Johann prefers to return to Moto2 in 2016 in his current team, Ajo Motrosport, with which he evolves in perfect symbiosis. A delicate choice that the Cannes pilot justifies for two reasons: on the one hand, a need to be perfectly supervised and supported to perform.

For the 2011 vice-world champion, the relationship of trust forged with Aki Ajo and his teammates is one of the main points explaining his fantastic rise to power for his fourth year in Moto2 – with eleven consecutive podiums, including five victories.

On the other hand, in the absence of a proposal for a handlebar deemed efficient, Johann Zarco and Laurent Fellon consider it preferable to postpone the transition to the premier class to 2017. However, since then, an offer for the least interesting had been slipped onto the negotiating table: the HRC has made known its desire to enlist Johann by offering him a .

The catch? The unknown as to the real potential of Honda aligned by the Spanish team next year. Honda promises that they will be motorcycles much closer to those of Marquez and Pedrosa, but the argument is hardly convincing: for two seasons that the Open category has existed, the HRC has been re-supplying it during each offseason to its teams and this is far from being the case, much to the despair of Hayden, Laverty or Abraham.

"He should be able to have a motorcycle that allows him to fight in the top six next year, in order to have the possibility of being given an official machine in 2017 and that is not the case. ", explains to AFP Laurent Fellon (on the right opposite), before exposing his primary objective.

"Only a Yamaha Tech3 would have interested us", admits the manager of the French rider with whom Johann had lived until then to devote himself fully to his career. Only this year, the young man has taken his autonomy and has his own apartment. Johann even has a girlfriend, so many "frivolities" formerly banned ! 

This "relaxation" – all relative! – could also be partly at the origin of its exceptional 2015 season and its more serene and calm behavior… 

Lack of ambitions ?

His decision made, Johann Zarco will now devote himself fully to the lockdown of his first world title which is reaching out to him, as he counts the enormous 85-point lead over Alex Rins with six races to go to the end of the season.. 

Then, we will have to re-motivate ourselves to defend this crown in 2016, in the same way that his main rival Esteve Rabat tried to do this year. Without much success for the Spanish, the first rider to "repeat" the intermediate category with the title in his pocket since the creation of Moto2 in 2010…

"If Johann is titled this fall, the objective will be to stay in the Aki Ajo team and keep this crown in order to obtain a good MotoGP in 2017, a factory bike", announces Laurent Fellon.

This track for 2017 would a priori take an Orange color, that of the Austrian manufacturer KTM which is preparing its return to the premier class with a prototype powered by a new V4. This return could be prepared with the Ajo team, so with Johann who has already planned to test next year..

"I can’t name the brand, but Johann will be testing MotoGP next year," confirms Fellon. Hoping that the Cannes driver does not experience the same disillusionment as his compatriot Randy de Puniet, who brilliantly developed the Suzuki prototype to finally see Espargaro and Vinales blow him the coveted handlebars !

Because at 25, time begins to play against Johann Zarco. Admittedly, the Frenchman still has good years of career ahead of him, but he is no longer a young hope. Hence the following question: should Zarco not have seized this chance to join the premier category, even if it means actually taking the risk of struggling in his early days ?

"If you don’t have a motorcycle that has capabilities, you can ‘screw up a rider": a rider who is used to winning and racing ahead, if he finds himself behind he is uncomfortable and loses the feeling. And then we will say: look at the French, they are not good in MotoGP ", objected Laurent Fellon after our colleagues from . 

"Last year I made the decision to continue in Moto2 rather than going to Pramac which had made us an offer (, Editor’s note), and today everyone is throwing their arms to the sky because we are winning ! ", rightly recalls the manager, whose son Lorenzo also made a promising debut in mini-motorcycle.

Still, another aspect must be taken into account: in 2016, the level of MotoGP will theoretically be leveled thanks to the introduction of the control unit and unique software. Therefore, the Honda offered to Johann will potentially be closer to the factory bikes..

Because at the moment, in addition to its lack of power, the Honda Open fishing largely by a concern of electronic development.

For this year of transition, Honda, Yamaha and Ducati will also have every interest in providing all their teams with motorcycles that are substantially similar to their official prototypes: this will allow more data to be found and therefore to advance rapidly in the development. electronics point.

In addition, this strategy is ideal for comparing opinions and setting directions regarding the new chassis settings required by the replacement of the 16.5-inch Bridgestones by the new 17-inch Michelin. In other words, it is possible that the Honda rented to the Aspar teams are indeed much more competitive, even perhaps close to the configurations of that of Cal Crutchlow at LCR..

Under these conditions, if they hold true, Johann will potentially have missed a golden opportunity. Especially since nothing says that the KTM prototype that he could drive in 2017 will be immediately competitive … This being said, can we really blame Johann and his entourage for wanting to extend a positive dynamic after years of sacrifices for play the win ?

Wouldn’t it be better to continue applauding him when he celebrates new victories with his famous back flip, rather than seeing him stuck at the back of the pack on a stationary motorcycle? Remember that even the 2006 world champion Nicky Hayden, admittedly reduced by his recurrent wrist pain, does not manage to operate the RRS Aspar. And that Marc Marquez himself is caught out by the official Honda 2015, despite all the support of the HRC…

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