JOHANN ZARCO TAKES A STEP FORWARD ON FRIDAY IN INDONESIA
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 11th on Friday at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Frenchman Zarco and the crew started the Indonesian weekend with positive feelings after performing well during the morning and afternoon sessions: he finished 5th on Free Practice 1 and 11th on Practice, almost securing a Q2 spot. After receiving new HRC items, the rider has experienced exciting improvements,
helping him reach his goals. As we look ahead to tomorrow’s sessions, the anticipation is high as qualifying will be crucial to the fight on the Sprint, a race that could be a game-changer for Zarco.
Johann Zarco – 11th (1’30.086)
“It’s been a positive day for us; we didn’t expect that solid level of performance. We did way better than what we had in mind. After today’s feeling on the bike, we are working on adapting to the new items on the different circuits, but so far, I’ve enjoyed the laps on the bike, and I firmly believe we can do a good job tomorrow on the qualifying and the Sprint. I am confident.”
POSITIVE FRIDAY FOR NAKAGAMI IN INDONESIA
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami has ended 17th on Friday at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Japanese Nakagami and the crew have had an eventful Friday in Indonesia. The rider was among the top 10 from the first-morning session, showing solid performance. Things got a little tricky in the afternoon, and he couldn’t improve, but considering he hadn’t tried the new HRC fairing yet, Takaaki made significant progress.
Tomorrow holds significant importance for Nakagami and the team, as they are set to test the highly anticipated new fairing for the first time.
Taka Nakagami – 17th (1’30.443)
“It’s been a positive day, although the position doesn’t reflect it. I didn’t expect the level of performance we’ve reached today. The track was not in the best conditions, but there was a good grip. We’ve taken a step forward, and I’m happy to start seeing some light finally. I’m looking forward to tomorrow, as we’ll try the new fairing, and I know there is a lot of potential there. Let’s see how it goes!”
JOHANN ZARCO SCORES POINTS ON SATURDAY’S SPRINT FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco has crossed the line 8th on Saturday’s Sprint at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.
After making it to Q2 and securing the 7th spot on the grid, the French rider delivered the best Sprint of the season in Indonesia. Despite a challenging start to the race, he managed to overtake some of his rivals, maintain his position in the second group of riders, and
compete for the top five without losing distance and persevering until the last corner.
During today’s Sprint, Zarco demonstrated his ability to control the situation and avoid mistakes, which was crucial in his performance and will be decisive ahead of tomorrow’s race.
“We’ve made a huge step in the braking area, which has made a difference today. Getting points in the Sprint is a significant achievement, and it reaffirms that although there are many areas to improve, we’ve done some steps in the right direction. If we can keep a good pace during the whole race tomorrow, I’m certain we can do a solid job again.”
DEMANDING SPRINT FOR NAKAGAMI IN INDONESIA
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami has finished 17th on Saturday’s Sprint at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.
The sessions on Indonesian soil on Saturday were a pivotal moment for Nakagami and the crew as they tested the new fairing brought by HRC for the first time. The team’s adaptability was evident as Nakagami noticed some differences but is still adjusting and fine-tuning some details.
At
Sprint’s time, Nakagami started from the 18th spot on the grid and had to face a comeback race with his trademark resilience. Rivals didn’t make it easy, and he fought hard until the last inch, crossing the line 17th and gathering valuable information ahead of tomorrow’s race.
“Despite losing time behind a rival, which affected my Sprint, our performance was not bad. The new fairing has a positive feeling, but we need more time to fully understand it. There are areas where I feel better, and others where I need more time to adapt. After the Sprint, I realized that there is significant potential for improvement; it’s just a matter of putting in more laps, understanding, and adapting. This realization should give us hope and motivation, as we are definitely moving in the right direction.”
FIRST TOP 10 ON SUNDAY RACE FOR JOHANN ZARCO IN INDONESIA
CASTROL Honda LCR rider Johann Zarco finished 9th in the Mandalika International Street Circuit Sunday race.
Following a strong weekend, Johann Zarco showcased his strategic prowess on Sunday’s race under extremely hot conditions. It was a demanding 27-lap race in which the Frenchman had to carefully manage the tyre consumption, battle against temperatures, and push to overtake rivals. His clever execution of race
strategy, without making any mistakes, allowed him to finish 9th, securing his first top 10 finish this season.
“I’m happy. We missed some time at the start of the race, but then I had a good feeling. I could be closer to some of the strongest rivals today, and it was fun. We still suffer from a lack of acceleration, which jeopardizes our job in some areas. I tried not to lose concentration and finish the race with the best possible result, as we needed this. After this weekend, I’m certain these are the first steps to keep improving our bike in the right direction.”
NAKAGAMI LEAVES INDONESIA SCORING POINTS
IDEMITSU Honda LCR rider Takaaki Nakagami has ended 11th on Sunday race at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.
After overcoming some struggles over the weekend, Japanese Nakagami delivered a strong performance in the 27-lap race under intense heat in Indonesia. He is still in the process of adapting to the new HRC fairing, but his recent progress is a clear indication of his potential. Nakagami’s 11th place finish at the
Mandalika has raised anticipation for his upcoming home Grand Prix in Japan, just a week away.
“Today’s conditions were hard. At the beginning of the race I struggled to warm up the tyres and that didn’t allow me to push. Then, once I understood the situation, I tried to avoid mistakes and push as much as I could with our package. The level of grip was quite low, and that made us suffer a bit. In any case, it’s been an important race to gather information, grab points and arrive to Motegi with the aim of doing a solid performance as it’s going to be my last home Grand Prix.”
