Johann Zarco was crowned poleman of the Portuguese Grand Prix. The 31-year-old managed to beat Joan Mir and Aleix Espargaro in the timesheet in a battle for pole that was not decided until seconds from the end.
Today in Portimao is the seventh career pole in the premier class for the Pramac Racing driver, the first this season.
“I was happy to have entered Q2 directly, because Q1 was much more difficult and we have seen so many crashes,” said the French driver after the end of qualifying. “Being already in Q2 helps a lot to analyze how other riders can ride in these conditions,” he added.
Now, Johann Zarco hopes to be able to try to climb the top step of the podium for the first time on a circuit where he had collected a retirement and a fifth place last year, but which had never been one of his favorites.
“It’s perfect. It’s my first pole of the season, I didn’t think I could do it here, but I learned a lot,” said the Frenchman.
The choice of tires was the big question mark on Saturday, even if in Q2 it was impossible not to bet on slicks. In this situation, the Ducati rider Pramac underlined the importance of a good strategy.
“The good thing was having the same tires throughout the session,” he said. “We were also waiting for the track to be in the best possible condition. A new tire wouldn’t have made a difference, because there were still patches of wetness, so it was better to try to improve the feeling and understand where you could push and where you need to. be very careful “.
Johann Zarco, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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