Johann Zarco produces “one of the best laps” to make Barcelona MotoGP Q2

Johann Zarco finished an impressive fifth on Friday at the MotoGP Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona, thanks to what he called “one of the best laps” of his 2024 season.

Zarco has made Q2 on several occasions this year, but this was only the third time he’s made it directly from Friday Practice.

“Can be one of the best laps,” Zarco said of his time that put him fifth-fastest on Friday afternoon.

“I think Thailand also was a good lap, behind Marc [Marquez], and another one in Aragon behind Jorge [Martin].

“But, yes, overall to get already a good lap before the end was great, and then on the last tyre I think the potential was there to do some tenths better, but I did a few mistakes so I could not improve. But it’s positive for tomorrow.

“We will see the temperature because it’s kind of tough on the left side to get the confidence quickly. If you want to try, you can get surprised, so I don’t want to have a low-side and lose time in the practice.

“But I’m very happy with how the Practice has gone in the afternoon, and I hope I can keep going like that.”

Such was Zarco’s one-lap speed, he felt that even a position among the top-six in qualifying could be possible, even if his pace on used tyres didn’t look as strong.

“It seems that for the first two rows there is an opportunity, which would be magic for tomorrow,” he said.

“Then, when the tyre gets used, we have a big change of the bike behaviour. I don’t know if we will have a solution for tomorrow but [to] get the speed and then try to control the bike, it’s something I like to do. I hope I will do it well tomorrow.”

Compared to earlier in the year, the package of Zarco and RC213V has improved on both the human side and the technical one.

“It’s [the bike] better than when we went to Catalunya at the beginning of the year,” Zarco said.

“At least now I’m using better the strong points of the bike, and clearly the bike has improved.

“After Misano we did a step in some fast corners, and here when you follow someone you see that you can follow at least — at the beginning of the year it was not even possible to follow.

“Then, with the cold, I was worried to not be able to use well the good points of the bike, but this afternoon with better conditions I think I could ride quite well, so I’m pretty happy for that because I didn’t expect that much but it’s clearly what I want.”

Mir: Barcelona not the first time Zarco has been fast

“Not only here,” Mir said. “For some reason, he is able to make one lap.

“For me, especially, it is the area that I struggle the most, because of the problems that we have with vibration, and for him it’s the area where he struggles less.

“So, we are trying to understand. He is able to do something that we cannot at the moment, and every time I try a bit more I finish on the ground.

“So, we have to understand, but [...] this bike, for some reason we have so much unexpected problems that make you ride in a strange way, probably in that way it’s matching him very good especially with a new tyre, but not for me at all.

“We have to make something to improve the bike, or I have to adapt. At the moment I could not.”