Breaking news

MotoGP

Pedrosa's work on KTM will be "important" for Zarco

Johann Zarco says the base set-up Dani Pedrosa brought to the KTM in testing during the summer break will be “important” for him in the second half of the 2019 MotoGP season.

Lewis Duncan

Lewis Duncan

Edited: Aug 1, 2019, 8:29 PM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

Daniel Pedrosa, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

The double Moto2 champion's debut campaign aboard the RC16 has so far been a miserable experience, with just one top-10 finish and 16 points to his credit from the first nine races.

Since MotoGP returned to Europe in May, 31-time premier class race winner Dani Pedrosa has carried out a number of private tests on the KTM, and spent three days on the bike at the Austrian marque's home circuit of the Red Bull Ring in the summer break.

Zarco has previously pointed out Pedrosa's comments on the bike have been similar to his, and believes the work he did over the summer will give him a new base set-up which will allow him to push without “losing myself too much”.

“To make also a fresh [start] and get a good base, I think the work Dani has done during this summer will be a great base [to start from],” Zarco said when asked about what the KTM updates brought to the Czech Grand Prix will do for him.

“He is this kind of rider who is so clean in his riding and knows perfectly what he does on the bike.

“So for me it's pretty important to have this base set-up and from that push myself to not lose myself too much as I did in the last races.”

Zarco has been working with a new manager, ex-500cc rider Jean-Michel Bayle, since an outburst over the bike at Jerez prompted a backlash from KTM management, and has previously stated this has helped him to re-focus himself.

When asked how he reflected on the first half of the year during the summer break, Zarco says he is now more accepting of his current situation and that changes made to the bike may not bring the immediate gains he hoped for.

“The focus for the second half of the year is to control better all the emotions that I would go through in the first part of the season,” he added.

“[I've] been sad too many times because I was not getting what I wanted [from the bike].

“And the summer break allowed me to accept better my situation, and then just accepting that [mentality] can help me to better work and accept changes [to the bike] may not immediately bring me progress - but at the moment if I do not change anything I will not make progress.”

Additional reporting by Gerald Dirnbeck

Johann Zarco, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Johann Zarco, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / LAT Images

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Read also :

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article Nakagami pushing Honda for works-spec bike next year

Next article Brno MotoGP: Dovizioso tops FP1, Oliveira stars

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Lewis Duncan



Marquez “comfortable” on Ducati MotoGP bike “but not ready for podium”

MotoGP

MotoGP

Qatar GP

Marquez “comfortable” on Ducati MotoGP bike “but not ready for podium”



Brivio: Trackhouse offers 'great opportunity' for MotoGP and NASCAR worlds to collide

MotoGP

MotoGP

Qatar GP

Brivio: Trackhouse offers 'great opportunity' for MotoGP and NASCAR worlds to collide



Marini urges patience at Honda as new MotoGP season approaches

MotoGP

MotoGP

Qatar Official Testing

Marini urges patience at Honda as new MotoGP season approaches

More from

Dani Pedrosa



Why Dani Pedrosa won't replace Maverick Vinales at Le Mans, despite his form

MotoGP

MotoGP

French GP

Why Dani Pedrosa won't replace Maverick Vinales at Le Mans, despite his form



Dani Pedrosa reveals the ‘crazy’ training that helped him master wet MotoGP races

MotoGP

MotoGP

Brazil GP

Dani Pedrosa reveals the ‘crazy’ training that helped him master wet MotoGP races



Dani Pedrosa reflects on ‘Fantastic Five’: ‘In Stoner I saw things I simply couldn't do’

MotoGP

MotoGP

Dani Pedrosa reflects on ‘Fantastic Five’: ‘In Stoner I saw things I simply couldn't do’

More from

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing



Pedro Acosta: "I'm going to Ducati to learn from Marc Marquez, not to beat him on same bike"

MotoGP

MotoGP

Indonesian GP

Pedro Acosta: "I'm going to Ducati to learn from Marc Marquez, not to beat him on same bike"



Pedro Acosta proposes new idea for monitoring tyre pressure in MotoGP

MotoGP

MotoGP

Pedro Acosta proposes new idea for monitoring tyre pressure in MotoGP



Pedro Acosta may not win a MotoGP race on a KTM - and that’s not a failure

MotoGP

Aragon GP

Pedro Acosta may not win a MotoGP race on a KTM - and that’s not a failure

Latest news



How the M8B became the most dominant car in McLaren’s history

General

How the M8B became the most dominant car in McLaren’s history



Christian Horner calls for F1 budget cap rethink: "Teams are spending $500 or $600m"

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Singapore GP

26 min

Christian Horner calls for F1 budget cap rethink: "Teams are spending $500 or $600m"



Phillip Island to remain in use despite MotoGP and WorldSBK departures

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

1 h

Phillip Island to remain in use despite MotoGP and WorldSBK departures



Did Max Verstappen already know the impact of Red Bull’s big upgrade when he signed his new deal?

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Singapore GP

2 h

Did Max Verstappen already know the impact of Red Bull’s big upgrade when he signed his new deal?

Feature

Discover prime content



MotoGP riders could get what they want, and fast, if only they would stand together

MotoGP

Indonesian GP

By Richard Asher

MotoGP riders could get what they want, and fast, if only they would stand together



Five things we learned from MotoGP's brutal Indonesian Grand Prix

MotoGP

Indonesian GP

By Richard Asher

Five things we learned from MotoGP's brutal Indonesian Grand Prix



The contrasting tactics used by Ducati and Aprilia in MotoGP 2026 title fight

MotoGP

Japanese GP

By Rachit Thukral

The contrasting tactics used by Ducati and Aprilia in MotoGP 2026 title fight



Five things we learned from MotoGP Japanese GP after tyre drama

MotoGP

Japanese GP

By Rachit Thukral

Five things we learned from MotoGP Japanese GP after tyre drama

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe