Tech 3 rider Johann Zarco says his crash while leading the Qatar Grand Prix is part of the learning curve of his rookie MotoGP season.
Zarco made his debut in the category at Losail and lined up fourth on the grid, before moving up to second at the start.
Later on the opening lap he jumped ahead of Andrea Dovizioso’s Ducati to snatch the lead but on lap six, he went wide at Turn 2 and crashed.
It brought what could have been an encouraging first MotoGP race to an early end but Zarco is taking plenty of positives from the weekend.
“Despite the end result, I am happy and it was so good to lead the field in my first race,” he admitted afterwards.
“I know that my starts are strong and I overtook some good riders at the first corner and I then got into a consistent rhythm.
“I kept pushing but on the sixth lap, I decided to relax, and maybe I went off the racing line a little bit and then I fell at the second corner.
“This is a shame but we are always on the limit and I still need to learn the category so this kind of mistake is part of my lesson as a rookie in MotoGP.
“It's a pity about the result but it's important for my confidence and I am excited for Argentina.”
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