Johann Zarco, full of confidence in Portugal: "I'm not looking in the other garage anymore."

Johann Zarco finished 6th in Friday's practice sessions in Portugal on his Honda, qualifying directly for Q2, less than three-tenths of a second behind Alex Márquez's fastest time. This result doesn't fully reflect the Frenchman's impressive performance. Indeed, the rider from Cannes demonstrated remarkable adaptability at Portimao, spending almost the entirety of both practice sessions in the top three.

Back on Portuguese soil after more than a year's absence – the last Portuguese GP having taken place at the beginning of the 2024 season – the Frenchman explains these results by the confidence he has regained on the RC213v since the Malaysian Grand Prix.

“I’m happy to be fast right away, but I feel that as soon as I try to find my rhythm, to relax a bit on the bike to get into a race rhythm, I can no longer ride the bike. I can no longer get it into the corners, and that bothers me.” he acknowledged during a press conference at the circuit. "I'm happy to have the right speed from the start; it confirms what I was saying in Malaysia: I've regained my confidence at the front. So I can attack. When I attack, the bike responds, which is very important. Why is this rhythm so difficult to find? It's more about energy: if I gain energy, then the rhythm holds. But right now, if I want to maintain the pace, after a while, I don't have enough strength left."

These difficulties did not help the Frenchman in his quest to maintain consistency, nor did the changing weather conditions throughout the day. In addition to his regained confidence, he attributes his performance to his new understanding of Honda's package.

“We saw that the biggest difference that made me lose the feeling at the front wasn’t really the engine, it was the swingarm. Now, with the carbon swingarm, we’ve set up the bike to be more stable, and that’s given me back my confidence at the front. In addition, I’ve tried to use the benefit of the carbon swingarm, which really makes a big difference in acceleration. It’s not pure traction, but it seems to offer more grip. The engines change, but normally, there isn’t a big difference.”

The other Honda riders also performed well, with Joan Mir securing 5th place in practice. As for whether his bike was the same as his, Johann Zarco declined to inquire, believing he had been penalized for his curiosity over the summer. "I don't want to look away anymore. I wasted too much time this summer. And since I know where I'll be and what I'll have for the next two years, I'm really going to work to become better with my team. That alone should help me progress."

ALSO READ > Portuguese GP – Practice: Alex Márquez continues his strong run, Johann Zarco at the front