Zarco misses the Top 10 by 1 thousandth in Motegi

The first free practice session for the Japanese GP was off to a good start for Johann Zarco who led the standings on four occasions, but while he was chasing the time, the Ducati rider was trapped at the turn. No. 7. 

So it's at 11^e place that Zarco concluded this first day in Motegi, 1 thousandth from the Top 10. With the rain forecast on Saturday, he will most likely have to make it through Q1. “We worked well,” says Zarco. When you have 1h15 to work on the bike, that's a lot. You can complete a lot of laps, but you also have to save energy to chase the clock at the end, like today. It was a little wet, but not wet enough, and you think it's important to be quick in case the rain comes. »

And added about the fall: “I was, I think, on a good ride,” he explains. I had already done my time attack, I slowed down for a lap. Aleix Espargaro then found himself in front of me and he was following Maverick Viñales. So I said to myself that it could be good. And indeed, I was making progress in the first two sectors, but I fell in turn 7. I put in a little too much angle and almost let off the brake, hoping it would pass. Maybe my front hard tire, 18 laps old, was a little too worn for the speed at which I was going (…). Disappointed to be 11th and miss Q2, because if it rains tomorrow we won't be able to improve. But that doesn't change anything, I have to keep attacking. »

Zarco, however, claims that it was not the conditions that led to his fall during the session. “Sometimes a little drizzle on the visor is worrying,” he says. As it was very hot, it would take more for the track to become slippery. It never rained enough to slow down, i.e. apply less angle to avoid a stupid fall. »

Ride height device before in Motegi 

Zarco is the only Ducati rider to use the ride height device at the front (mechanism for lowering the motorcycle when starting and accelerating). This system will be banned from 2023 for the front only, but the Frenchman is still seeing the benefits. “I use it as usual on all circuits,” he emphasizes. When others use rear, I use rear and front. Here, this is the type of circuit where I can probably find an advantage, but we see that, ultimately, the gain is too thin to see a real difference. We continue to use it for development. Even if we won't be able to use it anymore, it still provides information and we end the year with that. The times are already very good partly thanks to the ride height device (front and/or rear), not necessarily at the front, but we are already running in 1'44. »