Zarco: “The weather could help me”

Fifth in France, fourth in Italy, third in Catalonia and second at Sachsenring last weekend, if the trend continues, victory should go to Johann Zarco this Sunday. 

Obviously, these are just numbers, but the weather forecast for the weekend in the Netherlands suggests that the Frenchman could well make it. “It’s easier said than done,” smiles the Pramac driver. But why not ? It would be fantastic to follow this logic. I think the weather we might have this weekend might help me, just to keep my energy up. With the rain tires, I get more out of the bike, because it requires less force to corner. For me, the precarious conditions could be excellent for following this logic. We will see. »

Rain: a boon for Zarco

If the rain comes among the protagonists, Zarco has already planned a strategy. “If we know that it is going to rain in FP2 and FP3, it will be a matter of pushing in FP1 to qualify in Q2,” confides the man who took his very first pole position in MotoGP on this Assen circuit in 2017. Ultimately, the weekend remains the same: go straight to Q2 to prepare for qualifying and qualify on the front row, because starting that every time you start from the front row gives you better chances of playing for the podium. We'll see... Also, the new fairing on the Ducati on this circuit, with the chicanes, could help compared to last year. And if we just have that better feeling, I can be competitive. » 

“The 2022 bike is sometimes a bit more difficult to fix” 🎙️ – @JohannZarco1

A first half of the year that's seen Zarco go from strength to strength as he's worked hard to figure out the GP22 📈#DutchGP 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/rwmOH5mtgS

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) June 23, 2022

“It would be a bad surprise not to have a contract”

It's usual before each Grand Prix for several weeks, Zarco is questioned about his future in MotoGP. Even if for the moment, nothing is official, the Frenchman is not worried. “We have good relations,” he said. I'm the only one talking with them, without a manager. I have my story and I am old enough to speak with them directly. They know what I think: staying at Ducati is the best for me to continue progressing and winning. Having a factory bike in the Pramac team is already very good for me. Continuing with Ducati, it’s not signed, but it’s almost 100% sure. It would be a bad surprise not to have a contract. I think they no longer know at least which riders they are going to put Ducati, but not 100% who to put with Pecco. I joked that if they are hesitating between an Italian and a Spaniard, they should choose in the middle and take a Frenchman! Our results for a satellite team are very good, so it might be good to stay here. For prestige, wanting to win races and fight for a championship, it would be even better to go to the official team. »