Zarco: “In the rain, I have more margin” 

Delicate conditions greeted the pilots MotoGP this Friday near Assen in the Netherlands. On a completely wet track during the first free practice session, Johann Zarco was like a fish in water. « A good first day, confides the Frenchman about his first two sessions. It rained a lot this morning, but it's good to ride when it's raining so much, because it allows you to get good bearings. It's good to be able to have these sensations in the rain even if there was a lot of water on the track for a while and we had to deal with some very wet places and others a little less. There was a bit of aquaplaning, it was a bit tricky. »

???? @JohannZarco1 and his rear tire working overtime trying to get the power down! #DutchGP 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/jBaNj20OoP

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) June 24, 2022

The showers stopped shortly before the second session and the category protagonists were then able to put on slick tires. “ This afternoon, as soon as we left, we felt that we could switch to the slicks at the end, admits the Pramac driver. Eventually the slicks even started working sooner than I thought. I was pretty into it. On my last lap, I was improving a lot, but I slipped a lot from behind in turn 12, probably by hitting a patch (wet spot, editor's note). I really lost the rear in this big, very fast corner. I couldn't improve at the end, but I'm still in the game. Whatever the conditions tomorrow, if it rains, Q2 is assured and if it's dry everyone will progress. The fact of having somewhat delicate conditions means that we are less physically affected by the track, because we are patient a little, we wait for things to improve. We prepare less on Sunday for a dry race, but we save money and that's not a bad thing. »

« With good benchmarks, I can be competitive and I have more margin than in the dry »

Author of the ninth fastest time in the two free practice sessions, just a second behind the benchmark, Zarco is still hoping for rain on Sunday to try to make the difference against his opponents who are perhaps a little faster when the track is dry. “ Miller was very strong, he adapted to the conditions immediately, he said. Me, with good benchmarks, I manage to be competitive and I have more margin than in the dry. To win here in Assen, a wet race will be better for me. In the dry, there will be Fabio and Pecco, who is a little angry about his fall at the Sachsenring. We see that as soon as he puts on the tires, he's there. »

And regarding his performances in the dry, Zarco explained: “ I had a limit, but the others had the soft tire, and I had the medium, that doesn't play a bad role. I will be competitive, but I have more margin in the rain compared to my opponents. You are here for victory, I am telling you the conditions (laughs). »

Assen, rather safe in the rain

Last year it didn't rain as much as during the first free practice session at Assen, but despite these extreme conditions and devices allowing you to go faster, Zarco believes that the circuit is safe. “ In the rain, we don't use the ride height device, front or back, he says. We don't really have time. Assen is a fairly special route, but in general you don't use it in the rain. What's tricky with the water is that there was a lot of grip, but there were two braking sessions during which we passed over a flow of water crossing the track and we felt while braking, it holds, it holds then it blocks and when it blocks, there was a fall. But it's not a particularly dangerous track, but it's true that all the small breaks at very high speed like turn n°6 and n°13 and 14, it's good that we don't put a lot of effort angle... If you drive carefully, you're far from the clock. »