Zarco: Beating Rossi and Vinales key to works Yamaha MotoGP future

Satellite Tech3 rider Zarco was the highest-placed Yamaha for the third time this season in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, beating works pair Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi to fifth place.

The Frenchman said he was not sure why he was stronger than Rossi or Vinales, but hoped the result - achieved on Tech3's year-old M1 bike - will help to prove in time that he merits a promotion to the factory squad.

"I cannot explain very well why I was quicker," said Zarco.

"It's a track I like, and maybe this gives you a good energy and what you're doing is working well.

"Sometimes on other circuits, you can't say you don't like them, but maybe your natural feeling doesn't work a lot.

"Here, for me, it was working well.

"I want a factory bike in the future, so having strong races like this and being in front of them [Vinales and Rossi] is the way to deserve it in the future."

Both Rossi and Vinales struggled with rear tyre problems in the Austria race, despite running hard rears.

Zarco ran soft front and rear tyres, but said he had not suffered the same level of drop-off after adapting his riding style during the race.

"I took some risks [in the race], I wanted to stay focused and not make mistakes," Zarco said.

"Then I was in fifth position [with] 14 laps to go and the rear tyre dropped a little bit.

"I could not catch the guys in front but I was not losing too much time, I had to adapt my riding to control well this tyre drop.

"What I learned is maybe the way to ride when the tyre drops.

"It's a different riding style that I began to understand in the Brno test, and I was able to do it here."