MotoGP: Marquez celebrates incredible comeback victory in Germany
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Johann Zarco says Marc Marquez, who won the German Grand Prix, was positive for his own MotoGP title hopes after falling to eighth place in last Sunday’s race.
Zarco was a factor in the early podium battle on his Pramac Ducati after qualifying on pole, but it faded as he battled a drop in rear grip in the second half of the 30 lap race and saw the checkered flag in eighth .
With the championship leader Fabio Quartararo in third place, the factory Ducati duo Francesco Bagnaia in fifth and Jack Miller in sixth ahead of Zarco, the Frenchman was not dealt a big blow in the overall standings by Marquez’s victory.
As a result, Zarco is just 22 points behind Quartararo en route to the Dutch TT this weekend, 32 of them for Quartararo, Zarco, Miller and Bagnaia.
“There is always this championship thought that Marc wins – luckily he couldn’t have the performance at the beginning of the season and he missed races – that this victory doesn’t take away too many points in the championship,” said Zarco.
© Gold and Gans / Motorsport Images
Johann Zarco, Pramac Racing
“It didn’t give Fabio the opportunity to gain a bigger advantage, so based on this calculation, it’s pretty good that Marc won.
“In the championship, I think it’s a different way of looking at things. Also [Miguel] Oliveira is pretty strong now, only scoring 55 points in three races.
“So, always take lessons from it so he doesn’t take too many points and get stronger.
“For me it is a special track here at the Sachsenring, on which I have never been at the top, so I would like to rate what I was able to see today as positive, even if I was disappointed and a little angry at the end of the race Have the opportunity to stay [up front].
“But I can’t have these emotions because I won’t do well in the next races.”
Though it faded in the final stages, Zarco said that in the first half of the German GP he learned some “incredible things” from the way Marquez mastered the race.
“That was a day we had to take points,” added Zarco.
“I made good use of the advantage of this pole position. I’m looking forward to this weekend as I was able to push and give a lot of energy.
“The first half of the race was quite interesting and I’m very happy here at the Sachsenring that I stayed with the top guys, felt good and saw very good things.
“Marc was amazing, but I tried to learn these incredible things from them, because it’s really something special here at the Sachsenring and I hope it can help me to go one step further this season.
“I think an important point in the race was overtaking Aleix Espargaro.
“When Marc started walking away he took advantage of that with a little rain and at that moment I was really trying to overtake Aleix and I couldn’t so I lost a bit of time here.
“Then the second part of the race was completely different and on every lap the rear tire on the left side lost a lot and I couldn’t handle it really well.”