Johann Zarco has announced that he apologized to Avintia Ducati for dismissing it as “not a top team” before signing the privateer outfit for the 2020 MotoGP season.
The Frenchman will try to put a tough 2019 season behind him by heralding a new era at Ducati, where he will ride a one-year-old Desmosedici, but with some support from the Italian manufacturer after upgrading Avintia from private rider to satellite Status.
Zarco’s deal came after initially rejecting rumors linking him to the Avintia deal, making it more explicit that he would rather race in Moto2 than join the Spanish team.
However, Ducati’s assurances that it would offer assistance in 2020 due to the signing of Zarco would ultimately convince him to agree to join.
Related articles
Since then, a contrite Zarco has met with the team and apologized for what he said, despite pointing out that the 2020 Avintia will be very different from the 2019 Avintia when he was first associated. Even so, Zarco says Ruben Xaus told him it wasn’t normal to want Avintia because of his low status anyway.
“My fears have been erased because Ducati got in directly,” he told Motosprint. “The team name is still Avintia, but it’s not, we know that.
“I spoke to the mechanics from Avintia and Rubén Xaus. I told them ‘forgive me if I don’t say nice things’ and they replied,’ No, you were not wrong. In the situation we found ourselves in, it was normal not to want each other.
“And here the mechanics are 300% motivated. We all saw each other at the Ducati factory and the fact that they were there … It was nice to see them. ”
Can Avintia Ducati become a “top team” with Johann Zarco?
For a man with a special riding style – one who never fitted the KTM package – Zarco recently increased the mileage on a variety of different machines with the Ducati, which marks its fourth other racing bike in just over a year.
Zarco’s blunt assessment of Avintia before signing for the team would always make things a little uncomfortable at first, but he can’t afford to rely on his indifferent results over the years to justify poor 2020 results.
In fact, in addition to bringing a seasoned podium winner in Zarco, Avintia also brings a handful of Ducati Corse engineers who are likely to take a significant leap forward in a team that has since managed without satellite status in MotoGP.
“It will benefit the entire Avintia team, including [Tito] Rabat, because there are now five technicians in the team … “
So there is no denying that Zarco is present – comments and all – that do not obscure the fact that this is a mutually beneficial relationship for Avintia.
The Frenchman now has a Ducati factory site in his sights and believes that Avintia can occasionally make it to the top seven.
You have to get good results and beat the other Ducati to be on the list, ”he continued.
“I want to be in the top ten again. And then I want to be in the top 7 at least. It is a reasonable thing. It is very possible if I am good. And the goal is to be good. I’ve always dreamed of a world title or of fighting for the title.
“That’s why I can’t say that I want to be in the top 15 first and then in the 12. I have the equipment to make it into the top ten. I think we are strong for the top 7. “
No comments:
Post a Comment