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MotoGP, Zarco: "My M1 has what it takes for the podium"

The Frenchman is on the front row at Le Mans: "This morning I had lost confidence and I had to reset, then the afternoon turned magical"

MotoGP: Zarco: "My M1 has what it takes for the podium"

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The fans were on their feet when he rode under the chequered flag on the final lap that earned him the third spot on the grid. Johann Zarco is also on the front row at Le Mans, along with the Factory Yamahas ridden by Rossi and Viñales. It was a magical Saturday for the Tech3 hometown hero, extremely fast in Q1, confirming his performance in Q2. And yet, it was not all so simple.

After the crash this morning I was quite worried. In fact, I lost confidence. So I reset everything, managing to be fast in Q1. Dovi and Dani were also right there with the same goal, so getting through to Q2 was not simple. Among other things, I only had one tyre available and I could not risk.

And instead?

“At the beginning it was complicated. Then the day turned out to be a dream. Being on the front row in front of my home fans is something unique. I could not want anything better. This Yamaha can finish on the podium and it has the potential. Last year, Rossi and Lorenzo were very fast, taking full advantage of the M1 we can ride a good race.”

What do you think about the news on the tyres, namely the return of the 70?

“This is my first year in MotoGP. I am still learning and discovering the sensations on the bike. With the harder carcass in Jerez I did not see any great difference. I thought that maybe by using it as early as Mugello I could have more confidence in the subsequent races.”

How difficult is it for a rider to go out on the track after what happened to Nicky Hayden?

“Last year racing in Barcelona was very complicated. For year Salom was my rival, plus we had parallel careers. I don’t know Nicky well, but right now finding maximum focus becomes fundamental.”

Did Smith and Espargaró surprise you with their KTM bikes in the top ten?

“It is a very ambitious team and we saw that the bike has very good acceleration. We’ll see tomorrow if they can manage to be consistent.”

Translated by Jonathan Blosser
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