Johann Zarco almost gets to Q2 on Friday in Misano
CASTROL Honda LCR Johann Zarco finished 12th on Friday at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Frenchman Zarco and the LCR crew have carried out an interesting Friday, working together to adapt and adjust to the new items brought by HRC during the Misano test on Monday after the last race. The rider almost gets to Q2, and despite not reaching the goal, he’s classified as the first Honda, less than one second away from
the fastest in the standings. Tomorrow will mean another opportunity to try and fight for the best possible result on the qualifying and Sprint.
Johann Zarco – 12th (1’31.250)
“What we tested on Monday during the test was positive, in terms of feeling, and today we’ve worked around improving the time attack. The plan is to confirm those changes on the bike. Overall, with this fairing and the changes on the chassis, I’ve noticed that I can do a better lap time, using less effort, which is very positive for us.”
Demanding Friday for Nakagami in Misano
IDEMITSU Honda LCR Takaaki Nakagami ended 21st on Friday at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Japanese Nakagami and the crew had found some positives in the test carried out after the last race in Misano, as the evolution parts brought by HRC made him feel better on the bike. Some of those updates will be at his disposal again during the Asian rounds. Awaiting for them, on today’s practices, the rider struggled to find enough
speed, claiming a lack of grip. Besides, track conditions didn’t make it easy after several days of heavy rain.
United in their goal, Nakagami and the team are committed to finding a solution to improve ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying and Sprint.
Taka Nakagami – 21st (1’32.210)
“During the Monday test after the last race, I had a positive feeling while turning the bike, which gave us some hope to try and improve the current situation. However, today has been difficult, as I’ve struggled to find the feeling on the bike, and there was no grip. I’m looking forward to trying the new items again, to take a step.”
Tough sprint for Johann Zarco in Misano
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco has finished 16th on Saturday’s Sprint at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Some difficulties during the morning session prevented Johann from getting to Q2, and he had to start today’s Sprint from the 17th spot of the grid. However, despite the struggles, there has been a noticeable improvement in pace, which is positive. The rider and the team are experiencing some solid progress and are
committed to moving forward to consistently fighting for the points.
“This morning, I could not perform how I wanted, so I could not make it to Q2. I classified 17th, and starting from the back of the grid, the Sprint was difficult. The positive thing is that we’ve got a better pace than two weeks ago, but our rivals are riding super-fast, and it’s challenging and hard to accept. Ahead of tomorrow’s race, I’ll try to be constant and control my energy to push as much as possible. If the grip level lowers, we can fight better than today and get to the points.”
Arduous Sprint for Nakagami in Misano
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami has finished 19th on Saturday’s Sprint at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Starting from the 20th spot of the grid and having faced some difficulties over the weekend, Nakagami tried to squeeze his current package during the Sprint while avoiding making mistakes and staying with the group. The rider admitted not having the best feeling to push and overtake rivals, preventing him from
taking a step and fighting for the points.
However, before tomorrow’s race, Takaaki and the crew are working tirelessly on solutions to be closer to the rivals, instilling hope for a better performance.
“Since yesterday, I’ve struggled to find the feeling to push. Besides, the start of the races is always a challenge for Honda, and in the Sprint, I tried to stay with the group and observe our competitors. I identified areas where I could improve and other areas in which I felt I could do better than them, but we are still suffering in acceleration. In any case, we keep working and stay positive for the next races.”
Johann Zarco gets to the points in Misano
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 15th on Sunday race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Frenchman Zarco conducted a solid race on Italian soil after noticing some progress over the weekend’s sessions. He performed a strong start and began recovering positions from the 17th spot of the grid, although a couple of mistakes prevented him from pushing and catching other riders. He admitted enjoying the laps and
riding more comfortably than in the last rounds, which gives him and the crew hope ahead of the upcoming races in Asia.
“It’s positive to head to the Asian rounds after scoring points again. This weekend, we’ve taken a step forward, and today, during the race, I felt fast at the beginning as I managed to catch the group I had in front, which meant a lot. It was cool, and I had fun. However, I made some mistakes and lost time, so I could not do better than that. The good lap times at the last stages of the race are another sign that we are on the correct way. Let’s see in the upcoming races!”
Challenging race for Nakagami in Misano
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami has ended the 17th on Sunday race at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Despite the challenges due to a lack of rear grip and some chattering, Nakagami’s race in Misano proved his unwavering determination. The Japanese rider faced one of the most demanding weekends of the season, unable to ride as he needed to secure points. However, Nakagami’s never-surrender spirit shone through as he
pushed the limits with the package he had and finished the race gathering valuable information. Ahead of the following rounds, Nakagami looks forward to trying new things to take a step and notice some progression.
“It was a tough race, but we were prepared for the challenges we faced. Despite the lack of rear grip and the chattering, we didn’t give up and pushed as hard as we could. We are now focused on the Asian rounds, determined to try new things and make significant improvements to our bike’s performance.”
