Kosport Magazine: Zarco and Nakagami Test Upgraded Honda RC213V at Jerez
Johann Zarco and his LCR Honda teammate Takaaki Nakagami had the opportunity to test the overhauled version of the RC213V at Jerez on Monday. This comes after HRC test rider Stefan Bradl raced with the same bike at the Spanish GP last weekend.
However, the initial impressions of the upgraded Honda challenger were not positive. Zarco stated that the bike did not deliver a step forward in performance and that only one area showed improvement.
“The lap time was not coming. So it’s not the bike yet that we can say, ‘okay, we did a step’. I was maybe expecting to have a step on this test with the new bike, [but] I didn’t get it,” Zarco said.
Despite the disappointment, Zarco went back to his previous bike with some new parts for testing. He also clarified that he does not expect to have further involvement in the development of the new ‘lab bike’, echoing comments from factory team rider Joan Mir.
“I think no, because if not we would have continued the test on it,” Zarco said. “The way the bike is born should normally give a better performance. And when it is not giving after a few set-up we have to put it on the side.”
However, Zarco made it clear that he would not ask HRC to stop work on the lab bike, even if it failed to appease the race riders across Barcelona and Jerez tests.
“It’s not my job to say to Honda the way they have to work with the test team,” he clarified. “Now all the riders test this new bike and didn’t get the right feeling we wanted. Maybe the test team won’t work anymore on this bike. I cannot tell you but I will never say to Honda don’t work on this bike because I’m not in this position to do it.”
Kosport Magazine: Mir Finds Direction for Honda in Jerez Test
While Zarco and Mir shared the same comments about the new lab bike, the latter found the Jerez test to be positive overall. As he feels it helped Honda find the direction it needs to take in MotoGP.
In related news, Kosport Magazine has also reported that MotoGP miscalculated the Spanish GP attendance by over 100,000 people. This comes after Quartararo felt a “massive change” on the new Yamaha M1 during the first MotoGP test, and Aprilia discovered the real issue behind Vinales’ struggles at Jerez.
