Monster Tech 3 Yamaha’s Johann Zarco will start Sunday’s 21-lap Grand Prix of the Americas from the middle of the second row in fifth, after the Frenchman put in yet another stellar qualifying performance.
Zarco has been quick all weekend on his YZR-M1, the Tech 3 rider coming into Saturday’s running second overall and confident of being able to carry forward that momentum into qualifying to produce an equally impressive result.
As the QP2 wound up to its conclusion, Zarco popped in a 2m03.928s to jump up to the provisional front row in third. However, right at the death, Dani Pedrosa and Valentino Rossi leaped ahead, dropping Zarco back to fifth.
Despite missing out on a maiden MotoGP front row start in just his third outing by two tenths of a second, Zarco is nonetheless pleased with his performance.
“Today went positively for myself and the team, and we are very pleased with the qualifying result,” he said.
“In QP2 we used the soft compound of tyre, like almost everyone else, and my feeling was strong on the Yamaha.
“I set a solid lap time, and I held third at the end of the session, but then Rossi and Pedrosa, who have a lot of experience, were able to improve their times and I ended up fifth.”
Zarco was able to bag a solid result last time out in Argentina despite starting from the fifth row, and is keen to utilise his fifth position to replicate this.
The Frenchman also aims to get away with the leaders at the start and try to run their pace for as long as possible in order to learn from them.
“I will use this opportunity to push for a great finish,” he added.
“I aim to undertake a solid start and then stay with the top guys for as long as possible, and learn from them because this is the best way to gain knowledge.
“Throughout this weekend my ambition has been to work in preparation for the race, but at the same time I have been able to post a fast lap time whenever it was necessary.”
Tech 3 team-mate Jonas Folger felt a mistake towards the end of his final flying lap cost him a better result, but is still pleased with eighth on the grid, which matches his season best from Qatar.
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