It’s a highly motivated Johann Zarco who heads to the first round of the year in the colours of LCR Honda, the team he represents this year after having been with Pramac Racing. The Frenchman admits that he could even make the top ten ‘if all goes well’.
Speaking to journalists, the #5 spoke about how he feels for the start of the season: ‘I’m very motivated. The feeling on the bike is very good. I think we can go faster than when we tested here. We’ve sorted a lot of things out. Now we should have a stable base on which to build. The next step will be to play with the set-up to exploit the potential that undoubtedly exists’.
And this confidence was made clear with an anticipation of what the final result might be: ‘If all goes well, we should be in the top 10. That would be a good first step. I know it’s possible, but my personal performance also has to be good. Even during testing, I was satisfied with the work we did. The frustration came from other things: not having enough time to get to the bottom of things or to get used to the changes. Of course I won’t be happy if I finish 17th, but I’m willing to accept that’.
The experience gives him a certain ease and preparation so that he doesn’t feel pressurised: ‘I switched on that mental switch a long time ago. I want to get good results, but I don’t feel as much pressure as in previous years. In a way, it makes my life easier. But at the start of the season, that won’t be the case. But during the season, we can take advantage of the races to check different things’.