There were 20 minutes left of free practice for the Aragon GP, the second session on Friday, the one that gives direct access to Q2 for the top ten, when Johann Zarco stopped the clock at 1’47″378, moving up to second place in the timesheets.
It seemed like a stroke of genius, a mirage aboard the reviled Honda RC213V. However, the Frenchman managed to further improve that time on the final lap to stop the clock at 1’46″732. A performance that earned him the eighth fastest time and direct access to Q2 tomorrow morning.
A sumptuous performance, considering that the second Honda was Luca Marini, who however finished with the 17th time, more than half a second behind the Frenchman.
“I’m very happy,” said the LCR Honda rider. “It’s the first time I’ve been in Q2 since I’ve been at Honda and it almost feels like a victory.”
In the current situation of Honda, which is anything but competitive, every positive sign is a real breath of fresh air. “It’s important, but I don’t want to celebrate, because there’s still a long way to go,” recalled the rider from Nice.
Johann Zarco, LCR Honda Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Zarco tried to explain this good result and found it in the track that gave few references to the riders with the new asphalt. “The asphalt is very strange, but I had trained here with the road bike, so maybe that’s why I was less surprised than the others,” he explained.
While most riders will improve over the course of the weekend, Zarco seems confident he can take home a decent result: “If we can control the bike well after half the race, then we can do well,” he said.
For now, thanks to the passage acquired in Q2, Zarco is certain to start in the first half of the grid, getting rid of several bumps of his usual rivals. “In any case, I know that tomorrow, even if I were to finish last in Q2, it will be my best qualifying of the year”.
Even though it’s only Friday and he doesn’t give any points, but only satisfactions, the Frenchman appreciates the sensations he feels today. “The step forward makes me smile a lot”.
At Honda they continue to work and try solutions to close the gap, especially with Ducati. A slow progress, but one that Zarco is able to distinguish. “We have some weak points in acceleration, but the bike turns better with this new engine configuration,” he said.
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