Johann Zarco has to do without Jean-Michel Bayle with immediate effect.
The former motocross champion (who then switched to the world championship) appeared alongside the Frenchman at the Le Mans GP. Johann was looking for some kind of trainer, someone to train with and get advice with, and Bayle seemed like the right person.
After Zarco left KTM at the end of the season, Jean-Michel said enough, as reported by Speedweek.
“Johann is really talented. There is no question about that,” said Bayle after the Brno race. “I tried to teach him that you can be fast with a different driving style and we’ve seen the first results. I’m convinced that he will be competitive with the KTM too.”
We’ll probably never know if he was right. The former rider stayed by Zarco’s side during the summer break, trying to motivate him, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
So he decided to end their collaboration.
It is certainly not an easy time for Johann, who found every door locked. His intent (as mentioned yesterday) is to stay as a test rider on a competitive bike in MotoGP and be a wildcard. The problem is that all manufacturers are already ready for the season from this point of view.
Suzuki could theoretically be a landing pad.
Johann had already tried the GSX-RR in Moto2, but then switched to Yamaha with Tech3. “I don’t even know what to say to this possibility. We didn’t think about it at all. We have Guintoli and we are very happy with his work“Explained Davide Brivio.
The other option would be to return to Moto2 to prove that he is still competitive and then try a return to the premier class in 2021 when the market is fully open. But that too is just an idea for the time being.
Zarco would have better chances in the SBK, where Bautista has recently shown that it is possible to rebuild a career at the highest level. The derivatives, however, are not what the French think of.
As he himself admitted, Johann was taking a great risk of terminating his contract. In order for him to have another chance now, he needs a bit of luck.