Johann Zarco explains his gamble which backfired at Czech MotoGP
Johann Zarco explains why a soft tyre gamble backfired during the Brno MotoGP race, leaving him 13th but still top Honda.
For the second time in as many MotoGP weekends, Johann Zarco bucked the trend for tyre choice and felt it backfired.
After opting for the medium wet rear tyre in the Sachsenring Sprint - where he dropped from the front row to seventh against the soft rears of his rivals - the Frenchman again went his own way at Brno, this time in dry conditions.
Zarco, who qualified ninth, was the only rider to select the soft rear slick for Sunday’s grand prix.
The choice was based on encouraging long-run performance in morning warm-up, when he posted competitive times on a 16-lap old soft tyre.
However, warmer race-day temperatures meant the gamble didn’t pay off.
Nonetheless, the LCR Honda rider still set his best lap of the race on the final lap as he crossed the line in 13th.
“Tough race. It's a pity that I could not get a good result after a good Saturday,” said Zarco, who was eighth on the soft rear in the Sprint.
“We didn't want to go to the medium rear tyre because we believed that the soft can work, because yesterday in the Sprint it looked quite good and the consumption was not high.
“But just today was very hot and even my front tyre was not working so well, so I could not get the advantage of the rear and after half race it began to be very, very difficult.
“So it has been a wrong choice and I could not do very well.”
Despite the disappointment, Zarco heads into the summer break eighth in the world championship, and the only Honda rider in the top 14.
“At least I caught some points, which was the main thing, to conclude the first half of the season, which is quite positive, in eighth position,” he said.
“I've also confirmed the top ten goal I announced at the beginning of the year many times, with two exceptional results; the 1st and 2nd places, in France and England.”
While many of his MotoGP rivals head into a three-weekend summer break, Zarco’s focus now shifts to the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race, where he will defend last year’s victory for the HRC team.
“I will have a four-day break in Osaka and then the week in Suzuka,” he said.
Pramac’s Jack Miller will join Zarco at Suzuka, competing for Yamaha.
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