MotoGP Argentina: Two days ‘good for the show but not for the sport’ - Zarco

While Pramac Racing is unaffected by delays facing the MotoGP paddock in Argentina, Johann Zarco says the two-day schedule will be tough on both riders and teams this weekend.

While the final flight carrying cargo bound for Termas de Rio Honda is still in transit over South America, and now expected to touch down on Friday evening, Zarco’s team is set up and ready to go. Two satellite Ducati teams, Mooney VR46 and Gresini Racing, however, have yet to receive any of their kit.

“It will be tough for the teams that didn’t receive anything because the work that you usually can do in 48 hours, they will have only one night to do it,” Zarco explained. “So it will be quite tough. Fortunately for Pramac, we got everything so we are ready.

“I think they manage well for Saturday,” he continued, reflecting on the new two-day schedule as free practice and qualifying is condensed into Saturday’s running order. “Will be a big day but enough practice to get used with the track. Also to clean the track I guess, because it’s long time we’re not racing here so as usual we’ll have a bit of a slippery feeling and then will get better.

“Will be a big day on Saturday. For myself here, I like the track so this changing schedule I think is still good enough to hope some good results. Let’s see. The biggest thing is to really get used with the tarmac and the grip on the track and for this there are some riders feeling better and some less.

“Maybe having just two days we can have a big gap between the riders compare what we’re used to, because now everybody’s so close so that what makes the category very difficult. So maybe from Saturday, only one day test and then the race, maybe just some bigger gap.”

The revised schedule has brought into