Johann Zarco (10th) amazes on his MotoGP comeback: “That’s good for my ego”

Few would have expected such a comeback. On Friday in Aragon, Johann Zarco made his first MotoGP appearance since his heavy crash in Barcelona in mid-May. However, there was no sign of the 36-year-old Frenchman needing a long period to settle back in.

Zarco caused a surprise as early as FP1, when he held his own in the top 10 for a long time. In the decisive qualifying session in the afternoon, the LCR Honda rider went one better: 10th place meant direct entry into Q2. At the same time, Zarco was immediately the best of the four Honda riders. Team boss Lucio Cecchinello even had tears in his eyes at his protégé’s successful comeback.

Zarco could hardly wait for FP1 to begin

The day held a minor curiosity for Zarco. On Friday morning, the Frenchman was the first rider to take to the track. “It was nice to be the first out this morning. I was surprised myself and hadn’t planned it at all. Maybe I just wanted it too much and that’s why I left the pits too early,” joked the two-time Moto2 world champion.

What mattered much more to Zarco, however, was that he was quick right from the start. “The pace was there straight away, and that was really cool. I had a slightly different feeling to before my break. That was very pleasing, because it’s a sign that there are still a few keys to unlock on this bike to improve,” reported Zarco.

How his body coped with the strain

Physically, too, the returning rider got through the first day without any major difficulties. His left knee didn’t cause him any pain. However, his muscles first need to get used to the strain of riding a MotoGP bike again. “I get mild cramps quite quickly. That’s why I took care of it after the session and will be having a good massage this evening. Otherwise, the cramps could become a problem.”

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In qualifying, Zarco was once again confronted with the full intensity of MotoGP. “In the afternoon, the pace was immediately higher and more intense. I thought to myself: ‘Wow, that’s intense’,” admitted the Honda rider. On his first attempt at setting the fastest time, Zarco had a fast reference rider ahead of him in Alex Márquez. But the Gresini rider was too quick. “I couldn’t keep up with him and thought that would make it difficult to get into the top 10.”

Even before his final attempt, Zarco wasn’t particularly optimistic. “I thought: ‘Right, I’ll give it a go, but maybe the chance has already slipped away.’ Then I tried to get everything right – and it worked.”

Zarco had already realised during the Fireblade test: the speed is still there!

Nevertheless, the fact that he was back to being competitive so quickly after three and a half months without a MotoGP race weekend did not come as a complete surprise to Zarco. His practice sessions on the Honda Superbike had already shown him that the speed was still there.

“That’s why it was good to be out for just three months rather than six,” said Zarco. At the same time, he perhaps even sees an advantage in the enforced break. “It’s possible that a break can be a good thing, particularly for the body, but also for the mind and the soul.”

Zarco didn’t want to be proud of his performance, however. “Proud? No. But I’m very happy to be back here. We’re always comparing ourselves with the other riders, and it’s nice to come back and be able to say: ‘OK, I’m here.’ That’s good for my ego, of course,” smiled the Frenchman.

Following his surprise progression to Q2, expectations are rising for Saturday. Zarco wants to move even further up the grid in qualifying and is aiming for a place on the first two rows. To do so, however, a lap time in the 1:45 range is likely to be necessary – and that is precisely where the Honda rider has doubts about the RC213V’s capabilities.

“I’d love to be on one of the first two rows tomorrow to have a chance of a good sprint. But I don’t know how we’ll manage a 1:45 lap time,” Zarco admitted. The change in feel on the Honda gives him hope. “I’m happy about it and want to work on it to perhaps take another step forward that we haven’t experienced yet. But based on how I’ve ridden so far, I wonder whether a 1:45 lap time is even possible.”