This year, several MotoGP riders have suffered injuries, and many attribute the visible increase in physical problems to the intensity imposed by the new format with Sprint races. Johann Zarco does not believe there is a cause-effect relationship.
The Frenchman suggested that injuries may be more associated with the bikes themselves than with the format: ‘This may be more due to the bikes. We have greatly improved acceleration and braking, so turning is very difficult: you can’t make a huge difference in the corner. It’s very difficult and you don’t have any more margin. I believe it has more to do with technical regulations than with the weekend format‘.
On the other hand, Zarco believes that there needs to be a change in attitude from the riders: ‘I believe we can have fewer injuries – I hope – because all the riders can be a little calmer and will have learned from this year. If we have fewer injuries next year, it will be because everyone learned from this year. But you can feel stress in every race, and this is also because some riders play that you have to try; if you don’t gain three positions in a corner, you lost your race. And this is a problem‘.
