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MotoGP fans were in awe on Saturday by Johann Zarco, who topped 360 km / h in his Pramac-Ducati at Losail. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) is even more confident in the combination going forward.
Johann Zarco broke the MotoGP class top speed record on the Pramac-Ducati in FP4: on the 1068m start-finish straight of the Losail International Circuit, he reached an impressive 362.4 km / h in the wake . The 30-year-old Frenchman wiped out the previous mark of Andrea Dovizioso, which was flashed at 356.7 km / h at Mugello in 2019. The fact that Zarco clearly missed the braking point became a minor matter.
“The combination of Zarco and Ducati breaks speed records this year,” said Valentino Rossi, who peaked at 348.3 km / h on Saturday in Qatar. “The Ducati is impressive and Zarco is very good at getting behind the fairing. It is small and always in an aerodynamic position. If they break the record here in Qatar, they can be even faster in Mugello. “
Is this speed dangerous? For me it is very dangerous from 330 km / h, ”the nine-time world champion admitted with a smile. “330 and 360 km / h are incredible figures. I think all motorsport fans are happy with numbers like this because it’s just awesome. But of course, this speed is also dangerous ”, summed up the 42-year-old superstar of the scene.
For more than one lap in qualifying on Saturday, it was not Zarco but Pecco Bagnaia who was the standout man. The new official Ducati rider was the first and so far only MotoGP rider to set a time of 1:52 at Losail.
Rossi praised his student VR46 in the highest tones: “Starting the season with the factory Ducati is like that. It was impressive. He is a great performer of the Ducati in my opinion. Because he has managed to change his riding style in such a way that he has found a way to overcome the problems of the motorcycle and at the same time make the most of its strengths. “
The ten highest maximum speed values in the MotoGP class *:
1. Zarco, Ducati, 362.4 km / h (FP4, Doha 2021)
2. Martin, Ducati, 358.8 km / h (Q1, Doha 2021)
3. Miller, Ducati, 357.6 km / h (second quarter, Doha 2021)
4. Dovizioso, Ducati, 356.7 km / h (FP3, Mugello 2019)
5. Dovizioso, Ducati, 356.5 km / h (Rennen, Mugello 2018)
6. Dovizioso, Ducati, 356.4 km / h (FP2, Mugello 2018)
7. Miller, Ducati, 356.4 km / h (FP3, Doha 2021)
8. Martin, Ducati, 356.4 km / h (FP4, Doha 2021)
9. Zarco, Ducati, 356.4 km / h (Q2, Doha 2021)
10. Petrucci, Ducati, 355.8 km / h (Rennen, Mugello 2018)
* Registrations only count on GP weekends
Qatar GP, Q2 MotoGP, March 27:
1. Bagnaia, Ducati, 1: 52,772 min
2. Quartararo, Yamaha, 1: 53 038 min, + 0.266 s
3. Viñales, Yamaha, 1: 53.088, + 0.316
4.Rossi, Yamaha, 1: 53,114, + 0.342
5. Miller, Ducati, 1: 53.215, + 0.443
6. Zarco, Ducati, 1: 53.286, + 0.514
7. Morbidelli, Yamaha, 1: 53.313, + 0.541
8. Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia, 1: 53.315, + 0.543
9. Rins, Suzuki, 1: 53.490, + 0.718
10. Mir, Suzuki, 1: 53.682, + 0.910
11. Nakagami, Honda, 1: 53.721, + 0.949
12. Pol Espargaro, Honda, 1: 53,930, + 1,158
The rest of the starting grid:
13. Bastianini, Ducati, 1: 53,733 min
14. Martin, Ducati, 1: 53,840
15. Oliveira, KTM, 1: 53,915
16. Alex Marquez, Honda, 1: 53,958
17 Bradl, Honda, 1: 53,995
18. Marini, Ducati, 1: 54.122
19. Folder, KTM, 1: 54,240
20. Petrucci, KTM, 1: 54.443
21. Lecuona, KTM, 1: 54,627
22. Savadori, Aprilia, 1: 55,183
