Johann Zarco believes he will be “less lost” than the rest of the MotoGP grid when racing resumes having already had more time away from riding than his rivals.
The 2020 MotoGP season is on indefinite hiatus right now due to the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the cancellation of the Qatar Grand Prix and the postponement of the following Thailand, Austin, Argentine, Jerez and French races.
It is thought that the Italian Grand Prix will also be postponed, with the season now likely to start in June at the earliest.
Zarco, who will ride for Avintia Ducati on a year-old Desmosedici this season, believes this “can work to my advantage”.
After losing his KTM ride after September’s Misano round, Zarco didn’t return to racing until October’s Phillip Island race with LCR Honda in place of Takaaki Nakagami.
After that, he did not ride the Ducati until February’s Sepang test while rest of the grid (the injured Nakagami and Miguel Oliveira aside) rode for four days at Valencia and Jerez in November.
Speaking to Canal+, Zarco said: “[It’s a] strange time, but I tell myself that it can work to my advantage.
“To stay without riding or having to discover a bike and adapt to it quickly, I’ve already experienced it last year when I got on the Honda in Australia.
“Clearly, I didn’t sparkle (he only finished one of those three races – a 13th in Australia) and haven’t been on the podium, but I wasn’t in the ridiculous category.
“I was acceptable, and it went straight up in two weeks. And then again: with the time needed to sign with Ducati, I haven’t done any testing in November.
“That gave me a break of almost three months and then I had to attack in Malaysia; and there, again, no sparks on the first day, but at the end of the third day [I did] a good lap time, and then better tests afterwards in Qatar.
“So that gives me confidence. I tell myself that, if the break is long, maybe I’ll be less lost than the others.”
He added: “I can only hope that it can turn to my advantage, that I can readapt more quickly than the others, and as soon as we’ll be racing again maybe I’ll be able to improve a lot.
“So I’m hoping for something good in that sense.”