Johann Zarco continues domination on opening day at Brno
19/08/2016Ajo Motorsport rider starts Czech GP from where he left off in Austria, setting the fastest time and a great pace on Day 1.
Johann Zarco showed no signs of letting up his superb run of form on Friday at Brno, kicking off the Czech GP with a strong showing. The reigning Moto2 World Champion and current leader of the class showed his cards at the end of FP2, riding at an excellent pace and completing the day with the fastest time of the entire grid.
The opening 45-minute session were not easy for the Ajo Motorsport rider, who had to work on the setup of his Kalex bike amidst intermittent rainfall. Zarco switched up his strategy from a normal GP weekend, making two stops in the garage during FP1. However, it was on the third lap of his opening stint that he set his top time of 2:03.274, putting him seventh.
In the second session the Frenchman rode exclusively with used tyres. On his first stint, Zarco remained in the Top 10, but it was on his second run that he took a step forward. Using soft rubber, the Ajo Motorsport rider clocked times in the 2:02 range for 8 of his 9 laps, eventually setting a 2:02.277 unmatched by any of his rivals.
Tomorrow, starting at 3.05pm, the reigning Moto2 World Champion will look to repeat his pole position from both last season’s Czech GP and the recent Austrian round.
Results (Combined practice time FP1-FP2)
1. Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) 2:02.277
2. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 2:02.279 +0.002
3. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) 2:02.336 +0.059
4. Takaaki Nakagami (Kalex) 2:02.466 +0.189
5. Danny Kent (Kalex) 2:02.469 +0.192
5 JOHANN ZARCO “The first day went well. It rained a little in the first session this morning, so it was difficult to gain confidence. Compared with the Austrian GP the grip level is very different here, perhaps because there has been racing here for many years. There are also a lot of bumps. For this reason it is difficult, as the bike slides a bit and you lose confidence. In the afternoon the weather was more consistent; with both tyres I had a good feeling, I rode fast and set a good pace. The point is that I finished the day with confidence, and that is important to close the day out on Friday. Now we will continue in this way until Sunday.”