Oct 12, 2015
Zarco celebrates title-winning weekend with victory
Ajo Motorsport rider wins Japanese GP in difficult wet conditions, capping his World Championship weekend.
10/11/2015 - Twin Ring Motegi, Japan
Johann Zarco was proclaimed Moto2 World Champion on Friday, but the celebrations were postponed until Sunday so as to keep focused on the fifteenth round of the year. On race day at Twin Ring Motegi, the Ajo Motorsport rider concluded the weekend in style, claiming a seventh win of the season. On a completely wet track and with the race reduced to 15 laps, the new Moto2 World Champion dominated the contest to take the victory.
Rain and fog greeted the riders on Sunday morning at Motegi, and the conditions altered the schedule for the day. Delays to warmup sessions and races reduced in duration came as a result. In Moto2, Johann Zarco and the rest of the starting grid put on wet tyres to contest a 15-lap sprint race. Starting from pole position, the Ajo Motorsport rider dropped down a place off the start, sticking in second until ten laps remained. He made his definitive move at Turn 11, passing Jonas Folger. The two had broken away from the rest of the field, and Zarco in turn shook off his German rival. His pace allowed him to cross the finish line with an advantage of more than four seconds.
With this latest victory, Johann Zarco has 7 wins and 13 podiums from 15 races. The World Champion has accumulated a total of 309 points -103 more than his nearest rival. The next race for the Frenchman will take place in Australia next weekend.
Race - Results
1. Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) 31:17.900
2. Jonas Folger (Kalex) +4.505
3. Sandro Cortese (Kalex) +15.433
4. Azlan Shah (Kalex) +17.348
5. Hafizh Syahrin (Kalex) +22.858
Moto2 World Championship Standing 2015
1. Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) 309 points
2. Tito Rabat (Kalex) 206 points
3. Alex Rins (Kalex) 189 points
4. Sam Lowes (Speed Up) 152 points
5. Jonas Folger (Kalex) 145 points
"The race went very well. I knew Jonas [Folger] would push very hard from the beginning and I tried to follow him. I saw that gradually the asphalt was drying out and I decided to overtake him and try to escape, because it was the safest strategy. I felt comfortable and I tried to stay focused and not make any mistakes. The last two laps were not easy, because although I had a good advantage it is easy to make a mistake in the wet. The end of the race was fantastic and I was overwhelmed. I want to thank the team and all the partners who have allowed me to be in the World Championship all these years. I am very happy; thank you."
"Today is an amazing day. We knew from Friday that we were champions, but we did not feel that way -or did not want to think that way- because we wanted to be focused on the race. But now it is a very exciting time and we feel like World Champions. I want to thank everyone who participated in making this possible and to everybody on the team, who have done an excellent job. Above all, thanks to Johann [Zarco], as without him this would not have happened. He is the number one. He has always been prepared and focused on winning and go finishing on the podium. Also thanks to all the partners for helping us to pull this off. Finally, we also thank my family, Laurent and Johann’s family for their support in the World Championship all this time."