Johann Zarco – He did not tattoos. He has no sunglasses or custom hat. He does not write tweets, but he likes poems of Jacques Brel and George Brassens. So, he seems to be shy, but it is not true. Johann Zarco is different. When others already were winning in the World Championship (Rossi, Lorenzo or Marquez), he was still searching for the right words to explain to parents that he wanted to leave school and become a pilot. It was 2007 and he was 17.
Johann Zarco and Laurent Felon
Johann Zarco knocked on the door of Laurent Felon, a former paratrooper. Generous and authoritarian, but with a manic way. “He was my coach, manager, and mentor. All. To demonstrate to the family that I could become a pilot, I had to win the Rookies Cup. And Laurent was the only one who could teach me the “method.” He understood, he welcomed me into the house and there was nothing else in my life. Only Motorcycles.”
An Anti-Star
A strange champion. An anti-star, in this circus where there are those who care obsessively the image and spends more time on social and on the track. “The Internet makes me lose time. I need to stay focused on myself. Being popular and meet the fans is nice, but I prefer to speak directly. I need to protect myself. Although I understand that certain things are part of my work.”
“I want to be the best rookie”
From this year in MotoGP with Yamaha Tech 3 of Hervé Poncharal. In Qatar, Johann Zarco ran for 6 laps, then the fall. They say Zarco will be the big surprise of the 2017 season. “I want to be the best rookie. Even Rins, Folger, and Lowes are strong. At first, I was aiming to finish in the top 10. But seeing how things are going my coach says I could be always among the top 6. The important thing is to learn, not to hurry.”
Learn from whom?
“By all, I am just a newcomer. Marquez and Viñales are the best. And Valentino is the idol of my entire life. Even now I find it impossible to be on the track next to him.”
