Zarco heads for Q2 in racing return at Aragon
MotorLand AragónJohann Zarco made his return to racing today, taking part in Friday practice at Aragon where he secured a place in Q2
Coming back to racing after three months away, due to an injury sustained to his left knee, Johann Zarco delivered a tremendous performance on his first day back on track. The Castrol Honda LCR rider impressed everybody by being immediately fast and setting a good rhythm. In the afternoon, Zarco nailed the job, not only confirming the good feelings he had on the bike in the morning, but also securing a Q2 spot ahead of tomorrow's qualifying.
Team-mate Diogo Moreira also had a positive start to the weekend, although he did face some difficulties with grip and made a mistakes while pushing for a Q2 spot. This means that he will have to go through Q1 tomorrow. Despite this, the Brazilian feels positive about the bike and believes he has the potential to do a good job tomorrow.
Improving from a 1’49.114 in the morning to a respectable 1’46.376 in the afternoon saw Luca Marini end the day in 12th. Less than a tenth of a second away from a returning Johann Zarco in tenth, the tightest of margins once again had a big impact as Marini will be forced to duke it out in Q1. His Friday speed does suggest he will be in good standing to make it out and into Q2 however.
Joan Mir was one of the first movers in the afternoon, rocketing up to inside the top ten and ultimately ended the day in 15th position on the combined times. Four tenths off the top ten, the #36 had wanted to enter the weekend and show his potential immediately but there are still a few settings to refine on his Honda. He and the Honda HRC engineers are confident that improvements can be made before Q1 on Saturday to allow the 2020 MotoGP World Champion to show his true speed.
It’s been a good day. This morning I was surprised because I didn’t expect to be the first rider out on track, I could not wait! From the first laps, immediately, the speed was there and it was really cool, very pleasant. I had a good feeling on the bike and I noticed different things, it’s a positive sign, and it means there are still some key areas we can work on to improve the bike. As for the leg, there’s no pain, but the muscles need some time to adapt to the position. I’m taking care of my recovery after the sessions to feel as good as possible. The pace in the afternoon was faster and more intense, and I thought, ‘Yes, we are back!’ It’s really cool to be in Q2 tomorrow. Let’s see what we can do!
It’s been a good day. This morning I was surprised because I didn’t expect to be the first rider out on track, I could not wait! From the first laps, immediately, the speed was there and it was really cool, very pleasant. I had a good feeling on the bike and I noticed different things, it’s a positive sign, and it means there are still some key areas we can work on to improve the bike. As for the leg, there’s no pain, but the muscles need some time to adapt to the position. I’m taking care of my recovery after the sessions to feel as good as possible. The pace in the afternoon was faster and more intense, and I thought, ‘Yes, we are back!’ It’s really cool to be in Q2 tomorrow. Let’s see what we can do!
It’s been a positive day, I was there. I made a mistake that cost me Q2, but in any case, we worked well. As for tomorrow, the bike is ready and I’m happy with it. The main problem here is the grip, it’s all about the grip. I could improve on the entry, and we are working on different solutions, which is good. We will try to do our maximum tomorrow. Let’s see!
It’s been a positive day, I was there. I made a mistake that cost me Q2, but in any case, we worked well. As for tomorrow, the bike is ready and I’m happy with it. The main problem here is the grip, it’s all about the grip. I could improve on the entry, and we are working on different solutions, which is good. We will try to do our maximum tomorrow. Let’s see!
We tried something on the setting to see what it did at this circuit, it improved the bike in one area, but we lost a little bit in another part. There are of course still some things to work on to improve, so I hope that with that we can make the step into Q2. It’s about working with the package that we have, aiming to be the best Honda on track and seeing what happens when each session starts, I am really focused on myself – to improve my riding, my setting and not looking around too much. Times are really tight so again, if we can find something then I think we can be in the mix.
We tried something on the setting to see what it did at this circuit, it improved the bike in one area, but we lost a little bit in another part. There are of course still some things to work on to improve, so I hope that with that we can make the step into Q2. It’s about working with the package that we have, aiming to be the best Honda on track and seeing what happens when each session starts, I am really focused on myself – to improve my riding, my setting and not looking around too much. Times are really tight so again, if we can find something then I think we can be in the mix.
A more complicated Friday than what we were expecting to be honest, we were expecting a lot more. We used more or less the same setup as in Silverstone and unfortunately it is not the direction we need to head here. Our braking, which is usually my strongest point, was not where I need it to be so there’s work to do in this area overnight. Tomorrow is a new day and I am confident that we can find something together overnight. There is plenty of potential still left to find.
A more complicated Friday than what we were expecting to be honest, we were expecting a lot more. We used more or less the same setup as in Silverstone and unfortunately it is not the direction we need to head here. Our braking, which is usually my strongest point, was not where I need it to be so there’s work to do in this area overnight. Tomorrow is a new day and I am confident that we can find something together overnight. There is plenty of potential still left to find.
