“Great Sprint” for Johann Zarco, jokes penalty could help on Sunday

Johann Zarco converted a ninth-place start on his MotoGP comeback into his first Sprint point since Catalunya.

That was the day before Zarco suffered knee ligament injuries in a nasty Turn 1 accident that kept him sidelined for more than 100 days.

“I’m feeling happy with this ninth position in qualifying and the sprint,” said Zarco.

“Getting a point means the weekend already feels beneficial, even if coming back on the bike was the main thing.

“But once you start to feel good, and you have the performance, as a competitor, you try to do as well as possible.

“So, that was a great sprint.”

Saturday also marked Zarco’s first race start since the front ride-height device ban and introduction of the new, wider grid spacing.

“Very surprised with the start because it was pretty good, but I was very careful in the first braking,” he said. “Just because of the track, not too much because of the accident in Catalunya.”

He added: “Without the device, it should be easier for the first braking, but I needed to take a bit more feeling for this.

“It doesn't make the start more difficult. Just you have a bit more wheelie, so you start a bit slower. But for the race, I think the reference of the other guys helped me to manage this wheelie and go quite fast.

“I’ve also done many starts in my life without any device, so as a rider, I think we all have the capacity to adapt!”

The LCR Honda rider even overtook factory Ducati star Pecco Bagnaia to hold eighth during the early stages.

He later lost a place to fellow returnee Fermin Aldeguer before finishing in the wheeltracks of Raul Fernandez.

“I was happy to feel quite good, to feel able to attack Pecco, and then even try to catch Fernandez,” he said.

“I cannot say my mistake, but maybe staying behind Fernandez, trying to find the place to overtake, but not doing it straight away, was the moment where things became difficult because the front tyre got hot, and I lost time.

“Aldeguer came, and when he overtook me, I lost too much distance.”

Nonetheless, Zarco’s injured left knee also stood up well to the intensity of a MotoGP Sprint.

“The Sprint is always difficult physically, because it's very intense. But the body was answering pretty well. No pain on the knee, just a little cramping in the legs.

“So just need to keep training to feel very strong during all the weekend.”

Sunday penalty

Zarco will need to serve a double long lap penalty on Sunday for causing the Catalunya accident, but is not ruling out scoring more points.

“I think tomorrow, with the two long laps, I still have the possibility to do points, because there are still many guys behind,” he said.

“My feeling and my pace looks quite good, so I have the possibility to make points.

“And because I have these two long laps, maybe it's an opportunity to keep my front tyre cooler!”

Rookie team-mate Diogo Moreira finished as the top Honda rider in seventh.