Johann Zarco joked about his race approach at the Austrian MotoGP, saying, “Maybe I was waiting 8 hours,” after narrowly missing out in a four-rider scrap on Sunday.
The LCR Honda rider, who recently won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race with Takumi Takahashi, admitted he hadn’t realised it was the final lap when he crossed the line just 0.056s behind Franco Morbidelli in 12th place.
“I was disappointed I couldn’t stay with the group in front after a good start. I just didn’t have the pace,” Zarco said. “I struggled with rear grip, sliding before even opening the throttle. Without that cornering freedom, any mistake at the apex cost me more. I tried to follow Alex Marquez but couldn’t. I stayed with Morbidelli and thought he would attack Alex and Raul Fernandez, but I didn’t realise it was the last lap. Maybe I was waiting for 8 hours!”
Zarco now shifts focus to MotoGP’s debut at Balaton Park in Hungary. While Ducati riders are tipped to benefit from prior testing, the Frenchman believes all riders will adapt quickly.
After Austria, Zarco also slipped to ninth in the championship standings, overtaken by Red Bull Ring podium finisher Fermin Aldeguer.
