The case of Johann Zarco is certainly not isolated but certainly curious. Two-time world champion in Moto2 with titles won consecutively in 2015 and 2016 with authority, he moved up to MotoGP but his career was studded more with episodes that took place off the track than on it. After six seasons and 104 grands prix, he is still chasing the dream of winning a race in the premier class.
Zarco’s debut in MotoGP with the Tech3 team, at the time a Yamaha satellite, was more than remarkable, with four second places and two thirds, for a total of six podiums and a sixth position in the general standings at the end of his year of debut. These performances have not gone unnoticed at Honda, who tried to sign him as Dani Pedrosa’s replacement in 2019. However, HRC’s interest never made it to the rider and he has been stuck in the office of his mentor and manager, the recently disappeared Laurent Fellon, who had already reached an agreement with KTM.
Zarco’s move to the Austrian factory team, with which he signed for two seasons (2019 and 2020) is not even mentioned in the MotoGP stats pages, as the Frenchman announced mid-year that he would not complete his second year of contract and KTM kicked him out effective immediately before the season ended. Zarco and his team broke up after 13 races, but also with the representative who had accompanied him throughout his life.
Johann Zarco, Pramac Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
It was then when he accepted the offer to replace Takaaki Nakagami in the LCR-Honda team in the final part of the 2019 season, without however having a contract for the following year. Resurrected by Ducati for the Avintia team in 2020, the Cannes rider returned to the podium in Brno and won the trust of the Italian manufacturer, who promoted him to the Pramac team, where he spent the last two seasons in which he won eight podiums that earned him the renewal. But the victory hasn’t come yet.
At 32, Zarco has reorganized his staff and at the beginning of 2023 he announced his decision to do without his physical trainer, Romain Guillot, and his coach, Jean Michel Bayle, looking for a new focus for racing.
“I have tried to learn from the last few years and have prepared myself in the best possible way for this season. There have been some changes over the winter and I’m trying to improve,” he explained after the presentation of the Pramac-Ducati team in reference to the changes in his staff. “I had to make decisions to try and work differently. I’ve learned a lot and now is the time to put it all together to be able to act.”
This year the season reaches 21 grands prix and features the longest calendar in MotoGP history, plus Sprint Races will be introduced on Saturdays. This is why Zarco understood that he must find a new and revolutionary way to prepare.
“The changes come from the goal of training better, improving my fitness and the focus of the grand prix. In 2023 we will have two races every weekend, so it can be difficult and I want to approach it in the best way to be able to seize the moment ”, she said with the knowledge that change can offer him opportunities.
Brain cognitive work
As part of his new preparation, Zarco has started working with Neurovision Sport & Performance, a center that works on brain training to improve sports performance. The Frenchman was in Portimao last weekend, where, in addition to riding a Ducati Panigale V4 SBK, he worked on brain perceptive-cognitive activation.
“This year the work we will have to do starting from Friday will be very important, it already was up to now, but with the Saturday race there will be less time to prepare and we will have to pay immediately”, he explains. “With a short race, you have to rank up front on the grid and start well. There are riders who have good qualities for this ”, he says in reference to who can have the flying lap efficiency as a specialty.
Despite the good performances over the past two years, Zarco continues to pursue his first victory in the MotoGP, and with all the new features that will be introduced, he thinks there are the right ingredients to succeed, even if it won’t be easy.
“We’ll have to pay close attention this year, if you don’t feel well you don’t lose one or two positions, but ten. For this reason it is also difficult to point out a clear candidate. I think the favorites continue to be the champion, Pecco Bagnaia and the deputy, Fabio Quartararo. The latter has shown that he has consistency and will fight for the title. We can’t forget Marc Marquez, who will be super motivated, and Aprilia, who will want to confirm the improvement of 2022 this year”, explained Zarco.
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