POSITIVE AND RAINY FRIDAY FOR JOHANN ZARCO IN AUSTRALIA
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 14th on Friday at the Phillip Island Circuit.
It was not the expected Friday on Australian soil for Johann Zarco and the crew, as heavy rain forced the MotoGP riders to skip the first morning session. In the afternoon, when conditions improved, Johann Zarco showed a tremendous performance, occupying the top 5 and top 10. During crunch time, a yellow flag due to other riders’
crashes jeopardized his Q2 chances. Despite that, there is solid potential to do a nice job on tomorrow’s Sprint in the fight for the points, as Zarco has admitted having a good front feeling and confidence on this track.
Johann Zarco – 14th (1’28.576)
“Despite missing out on Q2, I was pleasantly surprised by my performance today. I was able to maintain a good pace and control my lap times, all while enjoying riding the bike. If the conditions are dry for the Sprint tomorrow, we have a good chance of scoring points, which is a positive outcome. We’re still working on our acceleration, but our focus is on maximizing our current capabilities and delivering the best performance we can.”
BUSY AND RAINY FRIDAY FOR TAKAAKI NAKAGAMI IN AUSTRALIA
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami finished 20th on Friday at the Phillip Island Circuit.
It was not the expected Friday on Australian soil for Takaaki Nakagami and the crew, as heavy rain forced the MotoGP riders to skip the first-morning session. In the afternoon, when weather conditions improved, and safety measures allowed it, it was time to ride and see how the asphalt was. Despite trying to adapt and get the
feeling, a bumpy surface all over the layout prevented Nakagami from pushing and squeezing his package. After gathering valuable data, the rider and the crew are committed to stepping ahead of tomorrow’s Sprint.
Taka Nakagami – 20th (1’29.293)
“It was not a good day for us, although I found a better grip level than last year’s. Somehow, there were so many bumps over the surface, which made me struggle a lot on the bike; it was difficult to keep the line. Let’s understand what we can adjust on the bike to do a good job tomorrow.”
UNLUCKY SPRINT FOR JOHANN ZARCO IN AUSTRALIA
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco has crashed on Saturday’s Sprint at the Phillip Island.
After a promising start to the day, narrowly missing out on Q2, Johann Zarco began his race from the 14th position on the grid. He steadily climbed the ranks, showing his determination to break into the top 10, until a slight error caused him to lose ground. While trying to recover positions, he lost the bike’s front end and finished on the
gravel.
The rider is fine, hasn’t suffered any consequences, and is fully prepared to bounce back in the Sunday race.
Johann Zarco – DNF
“I knew it would be difficult because there were many patches. Today, we had potential, and I felt fast and good on the bike. However, after a mistake, when I was trying to catch the rider in front of me, I lost the front on acceleration and crashed. It was a pity that I could not gather much information. Let’s see the conditions of the track tomorrow, but having a good feeling on the bike is already promising.”
TOUGH SPRINT FOR NAKAGAMI IN PHILLIP ISLAND
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami has finished 14th on Saturday’s Sprint in Phillip Island.
Despite a challenging start to the day with a bike issue, Japanese Nakagami and the squad persevered through a demanding Saturday. At Sprint’s time, starting from the 21st place on the grid, Nakagami valiantly attempted to regain positions on a patchy surface and under tricky conditions, demonstrating his determination and resilience.
His efforts culminated in a 14th-place finish and after gathering valuable information, he is ready to fight on Sunday.
Taka Nakagami – 14th
“It’s been a difficult day as we’ve had a problem with the bike, and consequently, our plans have changed. The track conditions were hard, and during the Sprint, I struggled from the beginning of it because I could not raise the tyre temperature. Ahead of tomorrow’s race, the conditions should be stable, which would be helpful to push and fight for the points.”
CONSISTENT RACE FOR JOHANN ZARCO IN AUSTRALIA
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco crossed the line 12th on Sunday at the Phillip Island Circuit.
After a solid weekend, a good start, a clever mind, and a consistent pace have been today’s keys for Johann Zarco’s fight for the top 10. The rider performed a strong race on Australian soil, as the conditions were better than yesterday’s Sprint, allowing him to do the maximum he could with his package. However, his ability to manage
tyre wear truly set him apart. This strategic skill permitted him to maintain momentum and fight hard against rivals, crossing the line 12th and being the first Honda in the classification.
Johann Zarco – 12th
“I’m happy; it’s been a positive race. Of course, I wanted to reach the top 10, but rivals didn’t make it easy, so I pushed as much as possible. In any case, we’ve confirmed our step forward in a different track this weekend. I could keep a fast and constant pace, and this is positive.”
DEMANDING RACE FOR NAKAGAMI IN AUSTRALIA
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami finished 18th on Sunday at the Phillip Island Circuit.
It was a demanding weekend for Nakagami and the crew in Australia. Despite the track’s surface and a lack of feeling posing some difficulties, Nakagami managed to set a consistent pace during today’s race. The rider’s early struggles didn’t deter him from pushing forward, even though it prevented him from reaching the points. He finally
crossed the line 18th, grabbing crucial information ahead of the next races.
Taka Nakagami – 18th
“The first laps of the race were complicated; I couldn’t be as fast as I wanted. However, as the laps went by, I could understand the situation and keep a constant pace. Overall, we need to improve our performance at the beginning of the race”
