MotoGP: black weekend for Pramac, is Zarco’s moment of “glory” already over?

MotoGP: black weekend for Pramac, is Zarco’s moment of “glory” already over?

The Frenchman crashed during the Portimão race, also losing the championship lead. But Zarco fought hard to be part of a team like Pramac and won’t give up easily

20.04.2021 ( Aggiornata il 20.04.2021 15:19 )

In a season in which Team Pramac appeared to start on the right foot, or in the right gear, the squad suffered a setback during the third race of the year at Portimão. The Portuguese round was one to forget for Francesco Guidotti’s team, a double dose of bad luck seeing both riders exit stage left, albeit in different ways.

Surgery for Martin, when will he return?


First, rookie Jorge Martin was touched by bad luck when he crashed out of free practice 3 on Saturday. It was a serious incident, and the Spaniard was unlucky to be involved, but lucky in that his injuries weren’t worse. In the immediate aftermath, he remained on the ground for a prolonged period, having lost consciousness as he rolled in the gravel. He was taken first to the circuit medical centre and then to hospital in a helicopter. The prognosis? A fracture to his right malleolus and a fractured right thumb. He’s already undergone surgery in Barcelona and has assured his fans with a message on social media: “Not my best day, trust me. I’m in a lot of pain but I’m the Martinator!”. It is not yet known whether he will be ready to race at Jerez on 2 May, but if he is there, he clearly won’t be 100% fit.

Zarco: from Top to Flop


On the other side of the garage, Johann Zarco. The Frenchman arrived in Portugal as championship leader. And with two second-place finishes in the first two races, he had also demonstrated to be the strongest of the Ducati riders. While Ducati factory riders Bagnaia and Miller and Pramac rider Martin have a more ‘aggressive’ style, the Frenchman’s smoother riding style appears better suited to the Desmosedici. And yet this wasn’t in evidence at Portimão. While fighting at the front, the Frenchman suffered a fall, missing out on a possible podium finish while also losing his championship lead. It appears that the crash was caused by a gearbox problem. The incident sees him slide from first to fourth in the general standings, now 19 points behind leader Fabio Quartararo. And Francesco Bagnaia has now moved ahead of him too, thanks to his second-place finish in Portugal. 

Zarco will show his fighting spirit


So if the first two races gave Pramac the impression that the season would be a bed of roses, things have now taken a turn, Portimão bringing them a double “0”. But although the result is not easy to digest, perhaps things are not as bad as they look. While Jorge Martin’s situation remains a little unstable, the same can’t be said of the Frenchman, who now prepares for Jerez and then Le Mans, his home round. His chances of returning to the top are good, added to which there is his determination to fight back, which could bode well for Team Pramac. Johann is up against many strong riders, but we’re sure he won’t hold back. After the KTM debacle and the Avintia transition year, the Frenchman is now part of the kind of team he’d been dreaming of, so one crash isn’t about to unsettle him: “We’ll start over with even more enthusiasm at Jerez” – he said after Sunday’s race. And his calm, “zen” nature can only be of benefit.

Translated by Heather Watson

MotoGP Portugal: Marc Marquez, the return of the injured warrior

  • Link copiato

Commenti

Leggi motosprint su tutti i tuoi dispositivi