Johann Zarco from Pramac Racing headed the final protocol of the training day of the Austrian Grand Prix 2022: he liked the updated Red Bull Ring – everything is going almost as he and his team planned. Is Quartararo the only one who has wedged himself into a tight Ducati group?! Zarco thinks it doesn’t matter.
The weekend of the Austrian Grand Prix began with Johann Zarco’s comments about the new chicane that divided the arc from the 1st to the 3rd turns in half: the chicane in the shape of the letter “Z” seems to hint at the name “Zarco”, but the Frenchman complained that they did not want to call it by his name.
And so, according to the results of the training, Joan is pleased: “It seems that there is only one suitable trajectory in this chicane that allows you to use the engine, the rest will not work. This is good for the one who heads the peloton. And this change made it easier to enter the 3rd turn. For this reason, yes, it is a good innovation.”
Despite the fact that there was a serious speed gap due to the chicane, the average speed of the Red Bull Ring decreased by only 4 km/h.
In terms of changes in pace and speed due to the two extra turns, Zarco is not sure if the speed limit has already been reached: “We are still exploring different options and settings, so it’s too early to say. The chicane is quite slow, and there are few options for how to pass it faster. For us, of course, the work has become more complicated: we cannot prepare a bike just for this chicane, because the rest of the track has remained unchanged. We are looking for a compromise setup, first so that the bike goes well all round, only then we will refine it for the chicane.”
What is the signal for Ducati to have Fabio Quartararo in the TOP 4?
“We thought this chicane would give him an advantage, but no – it’s too slow! Since the chicane is slow, it is suitable for Ducati: it plays the role of a quick rise and a shot and a second turn, which happens faster for Ducati,” said Johann Zarco.