Zarco: Beating works Yamahas is "the way" to get one
Johann Zarco says beating Yamaha's factory riders like he did at the Red Bull Ring is "the way" to show he is deserving of a spot of a works M1 in future.
Johann Zarco, Monster Yamaha Tech 3
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
For the third time in his rookie season, Tech 3 rider Zarco finished as the top Yamaha rider in Austria, beating works duo Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi to fifth place at the Red Bull Ring.
The Frenchman says he hopes that beating the factory riders on his year-old M1 will prove he merits a promotion to the main Yamaha team in the future.
"I want a factory bike in the future, so having strong races like this and being in front of them is the way to deserve it in the future," said Zarco.
"I cannot explain very well why I was quicker. It’s a track I like, and maybe this gives you a good energy and what you’re doing is working well.
"Sometimes on other circuits, you can’t say you don’t like them, but maybe your natural feeling doesn’t work a lot. Here, for me, it was working well, so I think it can be that. The bike is going well."
No tyre problems
Both Rossi and Vinales said they were hindered by rear tyre problems during the Austrian race, but Zarco, who ran soft tyres front and rear, didn't suffer the same way,
The Frenchman said he had adapted his riding style to handle the tyre drop-off late in the race better.
"I took some risks [in the race], I wanted to stay focused and not make mistakes," Zarco said. "Then I was in fifth position, 14 laps to go and the rear tyre dropped a little bit.
"I could not catch the guys in front but I was not losing too much time, I had to adapt my riding to control well this tyre drop.
"What I learned is maybe the way to ride when the tyre drops. It’s a different riding style that I began to understand in the Brno test, and I was able to do it here."
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