Johann Zarco produced a determined performance in the Tuscan hills to seize 7th at the Italian Grand Prix in front of over 100,00 passionate fans. The rapid French rider began the race from 11th on the grid and pushed nonstop as he fought in the competitive showdown. The final result today adds to his 6th place in the championship standings where he is currently the top independent rider as well as the leading rookie.

Meanwhile, Jonas Folger battled throughout the 23-lap sprint to maintain the 100% point scoring record in six races in his rookie season. He endured a difficult start whereby he fell back to 21st by the end of the second lap, yet he remained focused and mounted a notable recovery charge before eventually finishing in 13th.
    
Johann ZARCO - Position: 7th - Championship: 6th - Points: 64

"It was a great race for me here in Mugello and I am happy with the end result. I started from 11th on the grid, which made things more difficult because I didn’t have the advantage that I had in Le Mans with my qualifying position. However, I was able to keep the pace and control my rhythm but it was tricky to overtake Iannone because his acceleration was slightly better and his braking was also very strong. It took a long time to get past him and as a result, I lost contact with Marquez and Bautista and this was the group that was fighting for 5th. When I overtook Iannone, I expected to catch the two riders in front of me quite quickly, yet, I was tired because I had to force the bike a lot and I felt that my tyres had dropped a little. However, in the last five laps the group behind me caught up, but I had a great feeling on the bike and the hard tyre was working really well again, as was the front, and this meant that I could push and save this 7th position. The result is a positive thing because it was a tricky weekend and we tried to find a solution to some of the sliding issues but it was not so easy. However, once again, I gained a lot of knowledge and I gave it everything that I had, so we can leave Mugello feeling satisfied."
 
Jonas FOLGER - Position: 13th - Championship: 9th - Points: 41

"I can’t hide my disappointment about today but I did my best to recover as much as possible. The issue that is limiting me is the beginning section of the race and we are unsure about how to improve the situation at the moment. We are always able to make a fast lap during the weekend, but during the GP here, I struggled to stay consistent and ride decent lap times at the start. It was not a good day and I want to move on from this. Now I have to check and find a solution so that we can step up and go faster when the lights go out. We will keep working and I will try my best once again in Catalunya."
   

Hervé PONCHARAL - Team manager

"The last sprint of the day was fantastic and the crowd must have been delighted to witness three amazing Grand Prix’s, plus MotoGP brings a show that no other sport can bring right now. It was a great day for Johann and maybe some people would think that his result is disappointing compared to the podium finish in Le Mans, but we knew that the French GP was a very special weekend. In addition, it was a tough weekend here, yet, he was by far the best rookie and finished ahead of some of the factory riders including Iannone and Lorenzo. His start was not as good as usual but he made some very interesting and exciting passes and 7th is where we were at today. The guys in front were quicker and we can all see how strong Ducati is at this track but maybe the competition will be more equal at other circuits. I am very proud of Johann and race after race he is in the front group and he fears no one. As for Jonas, today was a bit of a disappointment as he ended up in 13th and this is not where we should be. He can be as quick as his teammate, however, he today he finished 15 seconds behind Johann and he lost all of this time in the first five laps. We know that he has the speed so we have to work more on the mental side so that he can improve at the start of the races. Jonas has all of our trust and this is important, and we are all behind him. We are fully confident in his ability, but it’s about time that things moved up a bit and we want him to show us his real talent. There are only a few days before the 7th round so it will be a quick rest but we can’t wait to be in Catalunya and racing again because this is what we love."