Zarco: Maiden MotoGP win “was a big feeling of release in my body”
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The Pramac Ducati rider was fighting it out for the podium with Francesco Bagnaia, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Brad Binder for much of the race, before victory looked like a distinct possibility with three laps to go.The chasing quartet were over three seconds behind Jorge Martin for much of the race, but as the Spaniard’s soft tyre gamble started to look like the wrong decision, Zarco knew his chance would come.Marc Marquez: “I will have doubts until I try the Ducati” Bagnaia warns: “Next circuits I’m very strong”, but ponders change of strategyAfter forcing his way through on Binder for second, Zarco quickly closed in on Martin before making the overtake at turn four on the final lap. Speaking after the announcement that Sunday’s sprint race would be cancelled, Zarco said: “I’m pretty happy because I was quick since Friday morning but then I was also struggling. “I cannot say it was a weekend where I was expecting to win after seeing the speed from Jorge Martin. “Even in the race, the way he was going away I was thinking I could fight for the podium. To get this opportunity in the last few laps and to think about this victory is an amazing feeling. “After it there were these memories and sometimes I was thinking that I could never win. But on Saturday it all came together and it’s possible. It was a really big feeling of release in the body.”Related Binder: “I felt sorry for Martin, he dropped like a stone” Johann Zarco admits he spoke to Repsol Honda – but “I wasn’t 100% convinced”While Zarco has always had the talent to win in MotoGP, achieving that result looked less likely as the season went on after the Frenchman suffered a difficult last few rounds.But with the weight of winning a race now off his shoulder, Zarco is hoping to carry his momentum into next week’s ThaiGP.Zarco added: “It’s going to be interesting to see the feeling I have with the bike in Thailand. With the experience [I have] I know that I can perform and be competitive as I’m doing. “But this extra push that you can have is something really special. I hope to have it in Thailand. “It was great to do a warm-up straight away the day after the victory because it helps you come back to ground.”
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