Strength in numbers
■ Double Moto2 champ is ready to return to his best in 2021
With a total of six Ducatis on the grid including three rookies, the Italians really mean business
Ducati saved Johann Zarco’s Grand Prix career last year when they offered him a lifeline at the Avintia Racing team. The Frenchman was in big trouble after being shown the door at KTM just six months into a two-year contract in 2019. Zarco wasn’t keen on moving to a squad who were arguably backmarkers of MotoGP, but the Bologna factory moved Ducati Corse technicians into his side of the box and Avintia became an official satellite team.
Zarco was rejuvenated and secured a podium at Brno, alongside seven top 10 finishes throughout the season. He’s been rewarded with a move to Pramac Racing and will ride a brand-new GP21 Desmocedici this season. Now, 2021 could be the year we see Zarco return to his true self.
Let’s not forget, Zarco is a two-time Moto2 champion and enjoyed a fantastic two years with Tech3 in MotoGP – coming agonisingly close to a maiden victory at Valencia in 2017, only to be pipped by Dani Pedrosa.
Zarco is in the best position since 2018 to be challenging for podiums and victories on a regular basis in MotoGP. Not only is he familiar – to some extent – with the bike beneath him, but he’s also much happier mentally now that he’s free of his KTM nightmare and a valued member of the Ducati project. Being happy off the track can be just as important as being happy whilst on it and can make a big difference to your performance.
Another bonus for Zarco is that not being in a factory team doesn’t actually have a huge negative impact in modern MotoGP. Jack Miller took the Pramac bike to four podiums last year, whilst Francesco Bagnaia also finished second at Misano and should have won the following week at the same circuit. That’s not to say that he wouldn’t jump at the chance of a factory ride should he prove himself worthy this season; Zarco certainly feels he should be classed as a factory rider.
All of the ingredients are there for Zarco in 2021, it’s now down to him to put them all together and create some magic out on track. Given that Ducati dominated through the speed traps at the Qatar tests, the opening two races have the potential to put Zarco’s career back on the map.