Johann Zarco made a solid start to his Thai Grand Prix weekend, finishing 10th on Friday and sealing direct entry into Q2 at Buriram.
The LCR Honda rider clocked a best lap of 1:29.590 during the opening day of track action, achieving his main objective of securing a top-10 position in Practice to avoid Q1.
“The first Friday of the season is always very busy. I’m happy to be in the top 10, that was our main target today,” Zarco said.
Despite the encouraging result, the Frenchman admitted that conditions made the session challenging. Changing wind direction and managing the new tyre package required careful control, particularly during time attacks.
“It wasn’t easy to push because the wind kept changing, and with the new tyre it was quite tricky to manage,” he explained.
Zarco added that he felt comfortable on the bike overall and believes further refinements can help unlock more performance. With a direct Q2 spot secured, he and his crew will now focus on fine-tuning the setup ahead of qualifying and the season’s opening Sprint.
“I’m happy we secured the lap time needed to go straight into Q2. We’re confident we can do a good job tomorrow, we’ll see how it goes.”
After a productive Friday, Zarco heads into Saturday aiming to build on his top-10 pace and challenge further up the order in Buriram.
