Johann Zarco secures top-five finish in Qatar Sprint
Lusail International CircuitJohann Zarco enjoyed a success Sprint race under the floodlights of Lusail, with Diogo Moreira just shy of the points
After a strong qualifying session in which he secured seventh on the grid, Johann Zarco headed into the Sprint determined to fight for a solid result. A red flag following an incident involving another rider brought the race to a halt, forcing the MotoGP grid to return to the pits before the restart. The Castrol Honda LCR rider made the most of the opportunity on the second start and quickly gained positions to be fighting for a top-four spot. Keeping the situation under control, the Frenchman crossed the line in fifth place, securing valuable points and delivering a strong performance until the very end.
Team-mate Diogo Moreira was able to make progress today, after experiencing a challenging Friday, and felt more comfortable on his Honda machinery, although difficulties with the time attack left him 16th on the grid. Following the restart, the Brazilian made the most of the situation, gained positions and fought to achieve the best possible, which was tenth at the flag.
Saturday was another day compromised by fatigue for Luca Marini, the Italian saving his energy for an assault on Q1 early in the day. Fourth in the session and two tenths from a transfer spot, Marini was hopeful that a strong start could deliver him into the battle for points and spur him on in the 11-lap Sprint. A red flag would give the #10 a second opportunity in the Sprint, able to gain positions early on with an aggressive run into the first corner. From then it became a battle of survival as Marini’s energy faded throughout the race and Morbidelli loomed in the background. Able to hold his fellow Italian at bay, Marini walked away with 13th and a question mark over his condition.
Jake Dixon continued to raise eyebrows with his rapid adaption to MotoGP, improving his best time from Friday by another 0.6s in Q1. Ending the 15-minute session just 0.117s behind Diogo Moreira and out qualifying former Grand Prix winner Maverick Viñales, the 30-year-old continued to demonstrate his raw speed. Aware the Sprint would be a bigger challenge, Dixon worked to stay with the likes of Marini, Viñales and Morbidelli for as long as possible to better understand how to manage a MotoGP machine over race distance. 16th at the flag and under six seconds from the ultra-experienced Viñales, and with valuable lessons learned, the #96 will be aiming to put them to work in Sunday’s 22-lap Qatar GP.
The second start was another chance for me, and I got off the line much better. I gained some positions and was able to fight with the riders around me. I felt comfortable on the bike and even thought I could catch the riders ahead. I tried to defend my position and stay in control without making any mistakes. I’m happy, I really enjoyed the Sprint! We have good pace, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow. It will be more challenging, especially with tyre management, but we’ll give it our best!
The second start was another chance for me, and I got off the line much better. I gained some positions and was able to fight with the riders around me. I felt comfortable on the bike and even thought I could catch the riders ahead. I tried to defend my position and stay in control without making any mistakes. I’m happy, I really enjoyed the Sprint! We have good pace, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow. It will be more challenging, especially with tyre management, but we’ll give it our best!
I felt better today than yesterday, although I’m still struggling with the time attack, which made qualifying difficult. In the Sprint, I just tried to do my best and make the most of the situation. Hopefully, we can take another step forward tomorrow. I think we can have a good race, and the goal is to finish in the top 10!
I felt better today than yesterday, although I’m still struggling with the time attack, which made qualifying difficult. In the Sprint, I just tried to do my best and make the most of the situation. Hopefully, we can take another step forward tomorrow. I think we can have a good race, and the goal is to finish in the top 10!
The problem today was me. I still have no power and even to finish the race was really not easy. I’m sorry to the team because we can see that there is a lot more potential this weekend. It’s like yesterday, in Sepang and in Phillip Island – I just don’t have any energy or power. All we can do for now is try to rest and assess our situation again.
The problem today was me. I still have no power and even to finish the race was really not easy. I’m sorry to the team because we can see that there is a lot more potential this weekend. It’s like yesterday, in Sepang and in Phillip Island – I just don’t have any energy or power. All we can do for now is try to rest and assess our situation again.
To be a tenth from Moreira and three tenths from Marini in Qualifying was honestly better than we were expecting. I am really happy with how the weekend has gone so far which might seem strange given the position we are in, but when you check the times and everything – the progress we are making is really good. The Sprint was always going to be difficult because there are a lot more unknowns and I just tried to follow the guys ahead for as long as possible before the tyre started to drop. We certainly understand a little bit more now so hopefully we can improve a few things on Sunday. Time is what it takes to gain this knowledge, and we don’t have much time this weekend, just focusing and taking the steps we can and enjoying everything.
To be a tenth from Moreira and three tenths from Marini in Qualifying was honestly better than we were expecting. I am really happy with how the weekend has gone so far which might seem strange given the position we are in, but when you check the times and everything – the progress we are making is really good. The Sprint was always going to be difficult because there are a lot more unknowns and I just tried to follow the guys ahead for as long as possible before the tyre started to drop. We certainly understand a little bit more now so hopefully we can improve a few things on Sunday. Time is what it takes to gain this knowledge, and we don’t have much time this weekend, just focusing and taking the steps we can and enjoying everything.
