Johann Zarco, who competed in Phillip Island, achieved his first victory as a Frenchman in 2023. However, he stated that he cannot achieve a new success with the current Honda RC213V under normal conditions. Zarco shared his views on the difficulties encountered during the race and safety precautions.
Honda's Difficulties and Safety Margin
Johann Zarco expressed satisfaction with completing the race. He stated that he overcame the physical difficulties well this weekend and that this made him happy.
"I am happy to have accomplished my job. There is always a difficulty here. I overcame the difficulties physically this weekend, which is a good thing. This makes me happy."
However, Zarco emphasized that he could not utilize the race pace fully and that safety margins must be planned to prevent accidents due to mistakes. He stated that this disappointed him and that these safety buffers cost many tenths of a second for every lap.
"My race speed was good. But I needed to plan a lot of safety margin to prevent mistakes and accidents. This disappointed me. This margin cost me many tenths of a second for every lap. I am sure that I could have been faster despite a poor starting position."
The Mandalika Race and Aprilia's Advantage
Johann Zarco completed the race in 13th place in the Mandalika race and recorded a gap of 26.3 seconds behind Marco Bezzecchi with this result. As the Honda rider positioned behind Luca Marini in second place, he stated that he successfully completed the physically demanding race distance. He saw this as a positive aspect of the weekend.
Aprilia's Advantage in Tracks
Zarco reported that he contended with Enea Bastianini in the final stage of the race and experienced vibrations from the rear tire. Bastianini said that the race was better and that he could attack. Furthermore, he feared tire blowouts in the final laps. As a matter of chance, he expressed his wish for riders to have a five-second lead over Morbidelli three laps earlier and to finish the race without crashing.
Technical Assessment and Expectations
Johann Zarco expressed that fast corners are problematic and that Aprilia would be the best on such tracks. He argued that they should not be there to win under normal conditions.
"This is a track with fast corners. We have problems in fast corners. Aprilia would be the best on this track. We should not be there to win under normal conditions."
Additionally, Zarco stated that he does not race with the goal of winning, but that he could change his mind in wet or damp conditions.
"I do not race with the goal of winning there. But maybe it is wet or damp. Then I will change my mind."
In conclusion, Johann Zarco stressed that there is always a difficulty after a MotoGP victory. However, he indicated that there is a possibility to change the power ratios.
"My race speed was good. But I needed to plan a lot of safety margin to prevent mistakes and accidents. This disappointed me. This margin cost me many tenths of a second for every lap. I am sure that I could have been faster despite a poor starting position."
Comments
Johann Zarco:
I am happy to have completed the race. There is always a difficulty. I overcame the difficulties physically this weekend, which is a good thing. This makes me happy.
Johann Zarco:
I did my best, but Bastianini was a better rider and could attack. In the final laps, I experienced vibrations from the rear tire and I feared a tire blowout. It was a matter of chance. I wished riders had a five-second lead over Morbidelli three laps earlier and to finish the race without crashing.
Johann Zarco:
It would have been a bigger surprise than the minimum.
Figures
- Johann Zarco is competing in 17th place with 51 points in the 2026 MotoGP season (Team LCR).
- Archive: Double lap penalty for rider Zarco (October 4, 2026)
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Go to sourceCompiled by Şükrü Utku Poyraz
