The LCR Ride Experience and Honda Day were an opportunity for Johann Zarco to spend a different weekend than usual and have fun notching up the laps at the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli," in the company of the fans of the Japanese manufacturer. It was a perfect setting to exchange some banter with the LCR rider before the next MotoGP Round, scheduled for next weekend at Sachsenring.
Johann, are you training for the Suzuka 8 Hours?
"I'm training for both MotoGP and the 8 Hours. It's true that my training bike is a CBR1000, but I would say it's more of a training to prepare for the MotoGP event in September at Misano, because this is a technical track and you can also work with a road bike to get an important feeling with the track; to understand the Curvone and all the bumps on the track. The better you know it, the better and faster you can adapt when you get into the race weekend. So I'm having fun, but also being here for an LCR event and a Honda Italia event, I also share the track with other riders and people who come from the street and want to try to ride on the track. I pass them all, but they are happy because they see how you can push on the bike and that is always nice."
Honda seems to have made some good progress this year. The bike has improved and in the first ten races you've had some satisfaction, such as the win at Le Mans and the podium at Silverstone. What grade would you give to what has been your season so far?
"It's definitely much better than I would have thought. I would go on a 7. That's because I would have expected better after Qatar, at Jerez I struggled a bit, but Le Mans and Silverstone were better than a dream. But then at Aragon, Mugello and Assen I struggled a lot and I couldn't even regain the level I had in Qatar. I don't think about the win or 2nd place in Silverstone but about the race in Qatar, which was very consistent. I finished fifth, even fighting with Morbidelli for fourth place, and that gave me the will to believe that Top 5 was doable, but in the last three races it was not even thinkable. That's why I say 7: because we're doing better than we wanted to do, but when we struggle we struggle so much and we have to find the reason why."
What do you think sent Honda into a crisis at Mugello and Assen?
"At Mugello we thought it was the heat that was bothering us, because when the asphalt is very hot everyone slides, but with our bike we seem to struggle a lot more with cornering. In Assen, however, it wasn't really hot despite the nice weather and we almost had the same struggle. That's why I still haven't been able to figure out why, although it may just depend on the change of track. We are in a period where we haven't found a solution. Also because when you start the weekend and you struggle, you have a few practice sessions to find the solution and move forward. When you make a decision you are almost forced to stick with it, because you don't have time to try so many things. It's complicated to start badly and then do well at the end of the weekend, because there are only a few practice sessions and you have to go fast every lap, because the others are going fast too."
Before the summer break there will be rounds at Sachsenring and Brno. What expectations do you have for these two tracks?
"We have strengths on the bike and I'm curious to see if we can exploit them properly at Sachsenring. I thought I could exploit them at Assen and it didn't work, however I always arrive with a positive mindset, hoping it will go well, because I know that if it does then I will put extra energy into it to enjoy and do well. Brno will also be interesting. We go back to the Czech Republic, on a track where I finished on the podium. We will see. Honda, as well as Yamaha, did tests there, but I couldn't do them. I did ride here in Misano, though, with the people, which is also fun! Then little summer break for me, because after Brno I will do three days at home and then go to Japan to get used to the time zone before the 8 Hours of Suzuka. So, my break will be four or five days in Japan."