Zarco: ‘balance good, riding well, happy’

Johann Zarco maintained his form through the second day of MotoGP testing in Buriram, Thailand, posting the fifth fastest time of the afternoon, 0.391s off pace setter Marc Marquez's personal best.

“Overall, all the laps I did today were fast, and I'm happy for that,” said the double Moto2 world champion. “I didn't do a very long run, but I was using sometimes a tyre with many laps, and never felt a big drop for the tyres.

“So for me, it means the balance of the bike is good, I'm riding well, and I'm happy for that. At the end of the afternoon, I tried to improve the lap time even better, it was great, but I'm happy because I felt that I found some limit that now, working on small details with the team,

“I will be able to be in the 1m 29s. So keep calm and accept that everything is coming step by step, but keep pushing to be always in the right feeling.”

While factory Yamaha riders Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales have been beset by a host of electronics issues, Zarco insisted his package is very similar to what he used last year.

“I don't think so, we are on the same electronics, just trying to use it in a different way,” he said. “We had a test today working with the traction control and this, I couldn't feel a lot in drive, but the feeling was OK, and my team also said it's a way to have less consumption, so maybe preparing the Misano race.”

Zarco was used by Yamaha in tests toward the end of 2017 to assess different parts from its previous years of set-up. Asked whether he was still offering his opinion on certain matters for the factory team, he said he was only focused on his own set-up.

“No, [I’m] working for myself, because we already have a lot to do. And also for Michelin, because they asked us to try a tyre today, to have more information. Really it's tire things are the most important so we have a nice race in October."

So what is Sunday’s aim? “Improve the lap time in the morning, because it's good conditions when you go in the morning, you are fresh, track is great condition, and everything is coming easier,” he said.

“I want to say. So focus for that immediately in a good pace and try to beat the lap time, and then when I use like two or three new tires, then I do laps on it to finish the day.”