IT hasn’t been the most harmonious six months between Johann Zarco and new employers Red Bull KTM, the Frenchman’s struggles one of the more publicised tales from the opening half of the 2019 MotoGP season.
However, MotoGP 2019 Part Deux has begun on a much brighter note after Zarco not only cracked Q2 for the first time this season but took himself all the way to the front row in third place.
Though he admits the levelling effect of rainy conditions played their part, not to mention the crucial extra running he enjoyed by reaching Q2 via Q1, he was still the fastest wet tyre shod rider by merit and might have had a shot at pole but for Marc Marquez and Jack Miller getting brave late on.
Nevertheless, as well as being a big boost for Zarco’s morale, the performance will see KTM start on the front row of a MotoGP race for the first time.
Zarco snatches the headlines but Espargaro well poised in fifth too
Better still, the firm has double the opportinithy for a big result on Sunday with Pol Espargaro up in fifth place too – even if watching Zarco swoop in from nowhere to write a little bit of KTM history is likely to smart privately.
Though the Frenchman was somewhat cynical about what he can do from the front row given the dry conditions forecast for Sunday are likely to work against him, he is targeting a fast start and a lap in the lead.
“A nice feeling, huge emotion even just for qualifying but I’m taking it. We are still having a hard time [though], on Friday I was not fast and still looking for improvements.
“In the wet today I didn’t start so well in FP3, but I had a better feeling from FP4 and step by step I could push. In the afternoon it was getting dry, but we had to use wet tyres, I can manage this well since Moto2 so I took this opportunity.
“I was in the box maybe ready to go with slicks but there are too many patches. A nice thing to start the second half of the season and it brings a lot of happiness to everyone.”
“In the wet there is less stress on the bike, you lean less. We could have the same problems, but we have less pressure on the bike. We are suffering a lot and tomorrow we need to take this opportunity to be with the top guys.
“I’d like to lead if we get a good start or a first lap for KTM – these guys need to think about the championship, we just have to think about 2 laps!”
Why is Johann Zarco having such a difficult MotoGP season?
At the very least Zarco – who scored six podiums with Tech 3 Yamaha in 2017 and 2018 - will be targeting his best finish if the 2019 season, with a modest 10th place his target benchmark.
Zarco has made no secret of his trouble adapting to the RC16, the double Moto2 World Champion citing a lack of front-end confidence as the reason for his lacklustre form and a series of crashes. The discontent spilled out into the media when Zarco put the onus of responsibility on KTM for not adapting the bike to his needs, only for the manufacturer to counter that its star signing was talented enough to put more effort in.
Relations haven't been helped by Espargaro enjoying a strong season on the sister bike as one of only two riders to score in each race this season, with a best finish of sixth in France.
