Zarco ‘getting close’ to top form return

Johann Zarco feels he’s on track to return to his sparkling form from the start of 2018 despite struggling for front-running pace with his Monster Yamaha Tech3 in Austria.

During the Austrian MotoGP race weekend Zarco’s future boss KTM’s Pit Beirer says wants the French rider to rediscover his pace before his move to the factory team next season.

After an impressive start to this year, with two podiums and two pole positions in the opening five rounds, Zarco has endured a dip following his crash at his home round at Le Mans but since the summer break has shown encouraging signs of rediscovering his form.

At Brno, the two-time Moto2 world champion confirmed he is still training with former manager Laurent Fellon and despite finishing a low-key ninth place in Austria he is confident of maintaining his progress.

“I am not in the top five yet but I believe I am on the way to catch back the high pace,” Zarco said.

“After qualifying [in Austria] I already felt that I am on the way and getting close. To repeat it every lap during a race I need to have strong training at home with motorbikes, keep my training going, I know my reference at home so I will try to always improve and in this way it will be focused enough to have pace at the next races.”

Zarco sees the next round at Silverstone as a key track which plays to his Yamaha’s strengthens, despite its ongoing difficulties in terms of development, and is eager to carry momentum into the second half of the season.

“Opportunities will come and I want to be ready to take it so I hope Silverstone can be a good one,” he said. “Last year it was a good race but not in the group I was in, I was in sixth position a bit far from the front group but almost with them, a little bit like I did in Czech Republic.

“I always go there with a smile and really high wishes because it is a positive energy.”