Zarco: High motivation to do a great result here in France

Johann Zarco goes into his home MotoGP race at Le Mans this weekend highly ‘motivated’ given the performances of Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia in Jerez. 

Zarco finished eighth during the Spanish Grand Prix, but with Bagnaia taking the lead in the championship from Fabio Quartararo, Zarco says that is pushing him ‘to do a great result’, while also alluding to Le Mans being a favourable circuit for the Bologna Bullet. 

In the pre event press conference Zarco said: "It’s true that in Jerez I got a few points and it was good enough for me. But with the high potential of the Ducati, the victory of Jack [Miller], the second place of Pecco [Bagnaia] in Jerez, and the leadership of Pecco it really gives a high motivation to do a great result here in France. 

"The track is fitting well the bike here - better than Jerez, and the pace was good for the Ducati there, so I’m pretty happy to have this package with me." 

The forecast for this weekend suggests rain for the entirety of the event which could be a good omen, as it was the Ducati of Danilo Petrucci who took victory in the wet eight months ago. 

But with Le Mans being one of the tightest circuits on the calendar, the potential of a wet race or a flag-to-flag situation will present various challenges for the riders.  

Zarco was asked about the prospect of a flag-to-flag race and the challenge it includes especially here at Le Mans.

"To get a flag-to-flag race it means we will start on the dry and then it will rain. It’s always tricky to know with the slick on when to go in the pit lane to change the bike, as maybe it’s just a little bit of rain and we can keep the slick or not," added Zarco.  

"But even here in Le Mans, to come into the pit lane there is a very tight corner that if we are with the slick and it is raining, it will be tricky. 

"Also,just to get out of the pit lane we have to keep the 60 kph for I don’t know, 700 meters, or 600 meters and that’s pretty long. 

"I think here in Le Mans it can be really special if many riders all change bikes with the tight place at the end of the pit lane which will be interesting for the show."