– Surprise in the MotoGP paddock: Jonas Folger returns to the premier class! As the Tech3 team announced on Monday, the German will replace the injured Maverick Vinales at the upcoming French Grand Prix in Le Mans. For Folger, it is a return to a familiar place, as he already spent his most successful time in the World Championship with the French team.
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His last races in MotoGP were completed by the now 32-year-old Folger in 2023. Most recently, he worked as a development rider for KTM. Now he is stepping in at short notice in Le Mans. “On a personal level, I am very much looking forward to reuniting with the guys from Tech3. I have a shared history with this team and it will be great to see everyone again,” said Folger.
The Bavarian associates his greatest successes in MotoGP with Tech3. In 2017, he debuted for the then Yamaha-equipped team in the premier class. His home race at the Sachsenring remains unforgettable, when he kept pace with Marc Marquez for laps and finally stood on the podium in second place.
When Vinales will return remains open
However, it remained his only full season, as he suffered from burnout syndrome at the end of 2017 and had to interrupt his career. Already in 2023, he stepped in for several races at Tech3 as a replacement for Pol Espargaro and collected valuable World Championship points.
Despite the anticipation, Folger is aware of the difficulty of the task. “Le Mans will be a big challenge as I return after so many years without racing. Getting back on the bike means adapting quickly and learning a lot over the weekend,” said the German.
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Meanwhile, Vinales must continue to watch. The Spaniard underwent surgery at the end of March to remove a displaced screw in his shoulder. After already missing the races in Austin and Jerez, a comeback was actually planned for his team’s home race in Le Mans. But a visit to the Red Bull Athletic Performance Centre (APC) dashed these plans.
“I have been working hard on my full recovery since the operation and always had Le Mans as my target race for the return. However, after the visit to the APC this week, I was advised that I am not yet strong enough to get back on the bike,” Vinales explained the decision.
Since the regular KTM replacement rider Pol Espargaro also still has to pause due to injury, the choice fell on Folger. When Vinales can rejoin the action remains open for now.
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