Johann Zarco on cloud nine after his victory at Le Mans: "I still don't understand"

To the experience. Where the French public probably expected a podium of fabio quartararo Before the Grand Prix, Johann Zarco surprised everyone by winning the race with more than 20 seconds ahead of Marc Marquez.

Thanks to a strategy that allowed him to keep his rain tires on from start to finish, the French rider was the fastest when the track became wet again. Marc Marquez, who was several lengths behind, was unable to try to catch the leader. In such conditions, the hero of the day expressed his great joy before climbing onto the podium.

Perfect tire management for Zarco

“It’s hard to believe! I still don’t understand what’s going on, admitted the winnerThe last laps were very long. I need a little time, it's magic! With the rain tires at the beginning it was tricky, I had to control, I didn't want to burn them. The rain came then, it got better and better. Marc was fast, but given the gap I just had to control it.

“It’s magic. I never thought it would happen like this, he added. There was this choice of tires, others who decided to return to the pits for slicks. It was forecast that it was going to rain. Afterwards, we quickly burned the rain tires, but when everyone else burned them, it was me who had the advantage and that was a real treat, was able to detail the French"Waving to the crowd on the last lap is just exceptional. I feel like it's something that happens once in a lifetime, and today is it."

Speaking to Canal+, Johann Zarco emphasized the need to be patient to build on this victory in the first half of the race. Able to control the deterioration when the track was still warm, the Frenchman had nevertheless started the race poorly. Hit at the start, the Frenchman managed to avoid a crash despite a Dunlop chicane being bypassed.

"Mir straightens up as hard as he can and he crashes into me. Luckily, I take my hand completely off the handlebars, which allows me to straighten the bike and I go straight into the gravel, he explainedFrom then on, I said to myself, 'Just manage it and you'll see.'" Johann Zarco's success was especially impressive as he saw the checkered flag wave in front of him as the leader for the second time in his career after the Australian Grand Prix in 2023.

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