This Friday, Johann Zarco was the sixth fastest in the first free practice session of the Qatar MotoGP Grand Prix – the only one of the day with a dry track, just as it is expected to be tomorrow in the session that will determine the top ten directly advancing to the second phase of qualifying.
The LCR Honda rider believes that this proved the potential of the new RC213V: ‘It was good to be in the sixth position to give a smile to the team. It’s a proof that the bike has potential. I feel this potential, but maybe there is still a question mark on the long race distance. I want to play this card to stay with the top guys, maybe to get opportunities for qualifying and then the Sprint race. And progress step-by-step in the long race; that’s a bit the way I want to go in the race weekend’.
Zarco then said: ‘It was great to have this during the afternoon. I could start much faster than what I did in the test, because I was fresher physically and I could really think in all of what we did in the test. Now we need to get fresher also to go with other riders, because during the test I wasn’t really following the other riders and during the practice it’s easier to catch someone. My information to Honda was much more clear than when you do two mini-tests, you get tired and it’s hard to be clear in your comments. When you are fresh and you see a difference, you can explain it well. It was a very positive first practice, at least to get this information’.
The FP2 was held with a wet track, and the Frenchman considers it good to ride in those conditions: ‘Even on the wet, with the rain tyres on a track with low amount of water, it’s a condition I’m used to feel good in and I knew perfectly the way to ride Ducati in those conditions. It was veru different with Honda and this was again information for us’.
Is it possible to qualify directly for Q2? Zarco considers it difficult, but he assured that he will pursue this goal: ‘I would love, I’ll try. The track conditions will be a bit different once again because with the rain maybe we have lost a bit of rubber. It’s an opportunity to take in case of another riders are not perfectly ready. But it will be hard, because I put a new tyre, some other riders didn’t. That’s why this sixth position is good, but not everyone put a new tyre. It’s possible, but we have to see tomorrow. I have to trust in it’.