Johann Zarco started his second outing for Pramac Racing in blistering fashion, setting an all-time MotoGP top speed record of 222mph on the second day of testing.

After a positive shakedown, Zarco took advantage of the first of the final three-days to find more feeling at the rear and making an important step forward with both confidence and pace. The Frenchman’s best time, a 1’53.899, arrived on his 62nd lap, leaving him in fourth position, with an imposing top speed of 352.9kph and finishing just 0.7 off fellow-Ducati, Miller

“I did not expect to have a good improvement on the first day” the Frenchman explained, speaking trackside at the close of Wednesday’s action “because I was focused to do the work but clearly we did a few things that helped me a lot. We made another step forward, lap after lap I felt better and better.

“I would have never thought to find a feeling like this, we improved a lot especially on the bike control. We still have to work on some things but we are going in the right direction.

“I was really pleased to ride because when it was necessary to push a bit more, the lap-time was coming, and then I was sitting on the top of the classification so pretty happy. Clearly at the end of the day, Fabio, Jack and also Vińales did a very fast lap-time and lap record, and today I didn’t get it but I must be happy with the progress we did because I did not expect that.”

Ducati chief, Paolo Ciabatti seemed equally as satisfied with his satellite rider, as he commented on the 30-year-old’s performance.

“We’re very pleased with Johann, because, for sure, he just started in a perfect way, so for him jumping on the 2021 bike, or the same level of bike as Pecco and Jack, was really a push for him and I think he showed the perfect adaptation. We know we must be honest, we know that Qatar is a favourable track for Ducati in principle, historically, but [we’re] very pleased with his progress.”

Maintaining his form into Thursday, the Pramac rider continued to impress by recording the fastest top-speed of the test so far, 357.6kph, or 222mph, just 0.1kph shy of Andrea Dovizioso’s 2019 Mugello MotoGP record. His ninth place finish, however, eighth-tenths from session leader, Maverick Vińales, left him slightly more frustrated.

“Not as successful as yesterday” Zarco confirmed. “The feeling was different, but that’s a good thing during the test, to have different feelings and try to understand why. With everything similar we cannot have the same feeling and enjoy in the same way.

“It’s clear that it was planned to do a long run to prepare for the race weekend and I didn’t want to do too many laps, to be ready for this long run, but we have good work to do, and in the end I did more laps, even than the days before so I’m kind of tired but I would say happy that still strong work and many good information for the future.

“To compare with the others, I’m not so far. I can still find some better feeling to be a few tenths faster and then it will be very interesting, so let’s see.

“I think I did much better than what I could do in the past, last year, so that’s why it’s progress and I’m still pushing. It’s coming together. When I deserve to have a better bike, it means that I’m going fast enough and I understood how to ride these Ducati bikes so I think, as I say, compared to last year, both things together [my own improvement and the new bike] control better this race pace.”