Since July 21, 2013, fans across the Rhine have been waiting for a MotoGP podium from one of their riders, since Stefan Bradl finished in second position in the United States Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, 2.2 of Marc Marquez and in front of the third Valentino Rossi.
Hoping for a podium for Jonas Folger at the Sachsenring is not absurd, even if he is still only in his rookie year in MotoGP. But his teammate Johann Zarco finished second in his national GP at Le Mans, so why not?
Folger has had some great performances since the start of the year, with five top 10 finishes in eight races. His best race result was sixth in Argentina and Catalonia, and he qualified sixth at Assen last Saturday. He remains on a good performance at the Sachsenring, with second place last year in Moto2 behind Johann Zarco. His best qualification there was fourth position in 2013, then in Moto3.
For Jonas Folger, “It goes without saying that I am looking forward to the Sachsenring. It's a special race for me every season but even more so this year because I'm in the MotoGP category.
“A lot of people in Germany will support me and I hope there will be a big crowd. We did a great job in Assen, apart from the race, where I made a big mistake, which I will not repeat.
“I think we can perform well in Germany and I hope the weather stays dry. It was a bit complicated in Assen because the conditions were always mixed. Either way, I will do my best to make the crowd proud this weekend. »
According to Hervé Poncharal, “ We don't have much rest between the two races, but there is just enough to prepare for the all-important German Grand Prix. We have mixed feelings about the Dutch GP. On the one hand, the drivers did a great job and were very fast. Pole position was amazing for Johann, plus, the second row was Jonas' best qualifying performance so far, and we were all happy.
“Still, unfortunately, the next day was a disappointment. Johann led almost half the race, but ultimately he only collected the two points for 14th place, which was definitely not what we expected.
“As for Jonas, for the first time since the start of his career in MotoGP, he did not score any points. If we want to be positive, they are in good shape, no one got injured and we are ready to forget this disappointment. It will be an important weekend for us in Germany, as it is the Grand Prix at Jonas' home.
“We know how important Germany is in terms of markets and economy for motorcycling, so we want to give Jonas fans something to cheer for.
“We know he can deliver really good results in his home race because he has the speed, the talent and the attitude. Let's prepare for the last event before the summer vacation and we will make our best choice as always. We can't wait for FP1 to start on Friday at the Sachsenring, so gentlemen start your engines! »
Photos © Tech 3
