Johann Zarco says he is “so happy” to have secured his Avintia Racing outfits first ever premier class podium finish at Brno, despite serving a long-lap penalty.
The Frenchman had bagged Avintia’s first pole position by over three-tenths with a scorching effort in Saturday qualifying having been a regular fixture in the top five throughout practice.
A poor start looked to have potentially thrown away any chance of a top three result as he dropped to sixth, but Zarco dug deep and managed to ultimately pass championship leader Fabio Quartararo for third late on.
A clash with KTM’s Pol Espargaro forced him to serve a long-lap penalty, but an inspired ride through the dusty tarmac of the penalty loop allowed him to retain his third position in the race, while he held off a charging Alex Rins over the final couple of laps to stand on the podium for the first time in two years.
Zarco says he was “ready to fight” as he found a good feeling with his year-old Ducati machine early on, but nearly lost everything after clashing with the Spaniard.
“I missed the start and I have to work on that, because sometimes I have good starts and sometimes not, and this time I could not get off well,” explained Zarco.
“Then I was feeling quite OK into the corners and ready to fight, but some riders overtook me and it was not easy to overtake them again.
“I was feeling that Morbidelli was getting away and I could have the pace to follow him, but then the top three got a small gap and Pol (Espargaro) overtook me, he was fast but making a few mistakes.
“I tried to come in on the inside of the first corner because he went wide, so I stayed in keeping the line, but he came in and we touched and I did not expect him to crash.”
Zarco pinpointed the fact that he had still rejoined the race still in third after serving his long-lap penalty as the moment he realised the podium dream was on, but conceded the gap to the rapidly closing Suzuki of Rins was “difficult” to manage over the final couple of circulations.
“A few laps after I got the long lap (penalty), and I was really surprised as I expected to have three riders overtaking me but nobody came so I said ‘okay this can be good ‘so I tried to catch Morbidelli, but it was difficult and then in the last three laps the tyre dropped and Rins was really fast.
“I saw the gap come from one second to 0.5, then I could hear him on the last lap so I really tried to close the door and it worked well.
“Thank you to Ducati, I’m so happy to offer the team (Avintia) the podium, and let’s see what we can do in Spielberg.”
Avintia’s previous best results in the premier class came courtesy of Loris Baz and Hector Barbera, who each scored fourth place finishes at the Czech and Malaysian GP’s respectively back in ’16 while riding Ducati GP14’s.
Zarco joined the Spanish squad for 2020 after striking up a deal with Ducati to receive satellite support for one of its year old GP19 bikes following a nightmare ’19 campaign that saw him join and then swiftly leave the factory KTM team mid-season, before ending the year as an LCR Honda super-sub for the injured Takaaki Nakagami.
A move to ‘official’ Ducati satellite outfit Pramac Racing could be on the cards for ’21 should Francesco Bagnaia seal a switch to the factory team to replace Andrea Dovizioso, who is yet to sign a contract with the Bologna-based manufacturer as the two parties continue in a stalemate regarding a future deal.
Jorge Lorenzo is also thought to be in the frame to replace Dovizioso should the Italian decide to look to new pastures, while ’18 Moto3 world champion Jorge Martin is set to get the Pramac berth already vacated by newly-signed Ducati factory rider Jack Miller.
