Will you be riding for Ducati or Honda next season?Johann Zarco: I should definitely find out more this weekend. It’s a shame not to have had a real offer from Ducati yet. It’s weird because you might think that good results are enough. But it seems not. Or maybe they’re not good enough. As a result, discussions with Honda are continuing to have at least two options. It’s a good thing to have a choice.
Are you disappointed that you haven’t had an offer from Ducati yet? Yes and no. Afterwards, I also put myself in their place. It’s been several years (Zarco is playing his fourth season with Pramac, editor’s note) that they have given me the chance to win and I haven’t done it yet. But it’s still a bit harsh to see him like that, because I performed all the time. It’s almost anecdotal not to have won. But that doesn’t change the desire and the pleasure of riding this season.
Do you have a preference? On paper, since the bike wins, the preference goes to Ducati. Afterwards, in terms of the future, the challenge, the other option can also be interesting and I feel desired. It’s hard to compare because they are not the same projects. There I have everything to win, I try to do it and I have been very close several times. With the other project, it seems less likely to win, but we mustn’t tell ourselves that we can’t do it because everything is possible.
Would it be a nice challenge to go to Honda? Yes for sure. I did a lot of development work with Ducati, we tried a lot of things and we evolved with it. It opened me up to a lot more things and I have a lot more maturity so I would be much better prepared for this new challenge. And it would be a great pride if it works.
Have you set yourself a deadline to choose? Yes, clearly, I would like it to be done before the Asia tour (which starts at the end of September, editor’s note). But the problem is that to choose you have to have both offers in your hands, and this is not yet the case.
Does this uncertainty interfere with your preparation? No, not at all. This is the advantage of having an agent, which was not necessarily the case before. It relieves me of a weight, clearly. He does the job and he reports to me the content of the discussions. It allows me to focus on my work.
What is your assessment of your first half of the season? I performed well, like every year. I’m happy to have won four podiums. I have not yet reached the ease in which I would like to be on the bike, but we have worked well and progressed with my engineer. There is more room for development to enjoy the second half of the season even more.
What is your goal for the second half of the season? I’m much more in control and have good consistency. Now we have to let go of the horses and I feel better armed. The Top 3 is accessible. For the title, it will be very complicated, it’s very good for (Francesco) Bagnaia because he’s comfortable, always in front and doesn’t make any mistakes.
Is it an obsession to win in MotoGP? No. It may have been for certain periods in the past, but this is no longer the case. The desire to win is still there but not because it would be the first time, just because it would be a great pleasure.