– 103 days after his serious leg injury at the restart in Barcelona, Johann Zarco got back on his LCR Honda for the first time during Friday practice at MotorLand Aragon. After the morning session, the Frenchman had to undergo another examination by the MotoGP doctors, which he passed without any problems.
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In the afternoon practice, the 36-year-old showed that he had not lost any of his speed. As tenth, Zarco secured direct Q2 qualification and was also the fastest Honda rider.
Is he proud of himself after this performance? “Not proud, but very happy to be back,” says Zarco. “Being in the top 10 is also one of the goals. It’s good to come back and say, okay, I’m here. My ego is well filled today.”
“A good day. From the very first lap, the start was good. I was the first on the track this morning. I was surprised. I didn’t expect to be the first out.”
“Maybe I wanted to ride so badly that I left the box early. But the speed was there immediately, and that was very cool.” Physically, Zarco also managed relatively well. Before Aragon, he trained with a Honda CBR.
“Regarding the leg, no pain, but the muscles need some time to get used to the position. Because I had a small cramp right away, which I took care of after the session.”
“And also tonight I will treat myself to a good leg massage to relax them a bit, because cramps can be a problem,” Zarco says with regard to the further course of the race weekend.
Aldeguer also shows strong comeback
The veteran was not the only one celebrating a strong comeback. Fermin Aldeguer, who injured a vertebra 63 days ago in Assen, also made an impression with the fifth fastest lap.
“I really didn’t expect this result,” says the Gresini Ducati rider. “I felt really strong, with a lot of power for the comeback. But the feeling from the first lap was super good. As if nothing had happened.”
“I am really surprised by my physical condition. I will notice tomorrow morning how I feel. But I pushed for six to seven laps and felt really good. No pain, which is super important.”
“It might be more the small muscles that you only use on a MotoGP bike. But honestly, I am surprised by my physical condition.”
Can a break even be helpful?
That both Zarco and Aldeguer were able to immediately ride into the top 10 after a longer injury break earned them a lot of praise and recognition from their fellow riders.
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But does this also show that a break in a full racing calendar can be a good thing? “Maybe, yes,” says Zarco. “It certainly helps with all the kilometers we have ridden.”
“We have to keep this confidence that we have the ability to be fast. We also don’t have a winter break anymore. Because the three months I paused are longer than a winter break.”
“But it’s true. We have to do some training, because if I had done nothing and then come back to the bike, I would have had difficulties. But the way I organized my rehab, I felt ready.”
Nevertheless, Zarco believes: “It is possible that a break, especially for the body, but also for the head, for the soul, can be a good thing.” He is not alone with this assessment among the riders.
Also Marc Marquez, who had to pause several times in recent years due to injuries and operations, can see the benefit of a break: “It looks like sometimes, when we ride more and more, we get slower and slower.”
“And when we have a break, if you look at Zarco and also Aldeguer today, both rode super fast. But I am especially happy for Zarco, because at one point it looked like he would miss the whole season.”
“And now he is here in Q2, as the best Honda. The only Honda in Q2, right? So, I mean, old school still works,” Marquez says with a smile. Zarco’s teammate Diogo Moreira was eleventh but only 0.010 seconds slower.
“I was happy for him and his team,” says the Brazilian. “Because in the end, he was at home for many days, so it was difficult for him too. I made a mistake on this lap and lost a bit in the last sector.”
Luca Marini was also less than a tenth of a second behind Zarco in twelfth. The Italian is also pleased with the strong comeback: “I am really glad that Johann is back and hope he feels good and manages physically.”
In the Grand Prix on Sunday, Zarco has to serve two long-lap penalties. It is a sanction for the start crash in Barcelona, where he injured his left leg.
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