[UPDATED: Since this article was published, KTM has confirmed it has officially parted ways with Johann Zarco – FULL STORY HERE]
Johann Zarco says his “most realistic” option for the 2020 MotoGP season will be a test position as he turns away from the prospect of returning to the Moto2 World Championship, which he has already won twice.
The Frenchman was looking for a new car in 2020 after having had a difficult start to a year he was with Pol Espargaro.
While Zarco has seen an upswing lately – he achieved his first dry Q2 at Misano and eighth place in qualifying – he slipped to 11th in the race.
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Again he criticizes his feeling on board the motorcycle and says that he is going to the “maximum”.
“It’s the same problem and the same difficult moment that I live in,” he told Crash.net. “I feel like I can’t fight. I do the maximum, but it’s only enough for eleventh or twelfth place and maybe the top ten on another day.
“If we find something pretty good and I can go fast, that’s confirmation that I can … and if I can do it on the KTM, I can do it on another bike.”
“There will be a test in Aragon and I will not do it because it will be a completely new motorcycle and I no longer have the confidence of KTM to do this.”
Where will Johann Zarco compete in MotoGP next season?
“I must think about it [now] and see the opportunities that I can take [for 2020], “he continued.” The most realistic thing is to become a test driver and show in every test – and maybe every wild card I can do – that I can come back strong in ’21.
“Perhaps I will find a motorcycle that can win, in order to find a feeling and joy on the track again that is really blocking me on the KTM at the moment.”
Despite having talked about returning to Moto2, it is unlikely that Zarco – who won his titles in racing with a focused individual team from Ajo Motorsport – will receive the same privilege when he returns. On top of that, he’s done enough in MotoGP to justify not going back to a series he’s already dominated.
Therefore, a test role with a manufacturer – with the reservation of a third driver as wildcards – seems more likely. Although the Japanese manufacturers used to err in the direction of local drivers for development tasks, recently they have entrusted this to European racing drivers with racing experience.
In terms of options, Ducati seems very pleased with Michele Pirro, Suzuki has attributed much of its success to veteran Sylvain Guintoli, and Aprilia is inferior to KTM in terms of competitiveness.
A seat at Honda could become vacant should HRC add Stefan Bradl to their new WorldSBK team, while the manufacturer will likely have the most vulnerable factory seat to win if Jorge Lorenzo continues to struggle alongside Marc Marquez.
Then there is Yamaha, where Zarco raced with impressive successes in 2017 and 2018. The manufacturer’s future beyond 2021 – specifically, whether Valentino Rossi is retiring, whether Fabio Quartararo is moving up, and whether Franco Morbidelli and Maverick Vinales are getting back to their form – makes them likely the most attractive option in terms of several possibilities. However, it has just added a European tester to its roster, Zarco’s old Tech 3 teammate Jonas Folger, even if his fitness is not guaranteed due to persistent problems with the debilitating Gilbert syndrome.
Wasted talent or unproven ability?
On paper, any team would be lucky enough to have Zarco on their roster as a test driver for his quality, but the reality of keeping him busy could be a little more complicated.
Any deal Zarco writes must almost certainly include a guarantee on a racing seat for 2021, and while that puts him in a good negotiating position since most MotoGP deals close in late 2020, it’s still pretty early on for manufacturers to think far ahead.
Indeed, since Zarco’s dismal season – and his somewhat questionable stance – at KTM will undoubtedly make some manufacturers think about his viability, signing a guaranteed contract for 2021 is also a huge amount of pressure on two existing riders in 2019, there they know that one of them is destined to lose their seat in 2021. However, maybe depending on your leadership style, this isn’t a bad thing …
In addition, will he be able to drive the development of certain machines with his smooth, progressive riding style, which has clearly not yet found his rhythm with the KTM?
On the other hand, Zarco is a two-time Moto2 world champion and has six podiums and three pole positions in just two seasons.
Ironically, one wonders as KTM is now battling obvious options to fill its seat and Zarco is still getting solid – albeit lower than expected – scores …