Since this morning, the Italian press has been reporting the name of Yonny Hernandez as Jonas Folger's replacement within the Tech3 team, perhaps for the entire 2018 season, but in any case certainly for the next tests which will begin at Sepang next Friday.
We were able to take stock of this subject with Hervé Poncharal and, as you will see, things are not quite that simple…
Hervé Poncharal, where are we on the subject of replacing Jonas Folger?
Hervé Poncharal : "at the moment, given that part of the team leaves on the 23rd and another part on the 24th of January, and given the difficulty we have in finding a driver who is acceptable in terms of the level of piloting and which, above all, is free from any commitment, I personally decided, with the full approval of Yamaha Motor Corporation, that is to say from Messrs. Tsuji and Tsuya in Japan, to take as a deadline the tests at Buriram in Thailand. To decide beforehand would be to do things hastily, under pressure and stress, and that's not how it's done. We will therefore not announce the driver who will replace Jonas Folger before returning from Sepang. This is my goal and I hope we will be able to achieve it.
Now, I want to say one thing very clearly: I was surprised and shocked by the offers of services that were made to me from pilots who are all under contract, and contracts that are well done and well put together. So the message I want to send is that just because I have a problem doesn't mean I'm going to pass that problem on to someone else. The problem we have to face is unfortunately a problem in the life of a team manager who competes, in this case MotoGP, and it is up to me to solve it. I'm not going to solve it well, because today no one has both the level of Jonas Folger and is available on the market. So we're thinking about it and we're taking a little more time to get there. Of course, if the drivers who contacted me are able to give me a document on which it is specified that the boss of the team with which they are in contract today declares them totally free to enter into negotiations with the team Tech3 for the 2018 season, and by the time we return from Sepang, these drivers will be included in our panel of possible drivers for 2018.
Until then I regret the lack of honesty, of recognition of many pilots towards the people who trusted them. They shook hands, they signed a contract to commit in 2018, and even though there are opportunities that are a little more attractive, I think that a word given, a handshake, and again plus a signature at the bottom of a contract, is something that must be respected.
Finding a driver is not a question of life or death for the Tech3 team. Personally, I want to always keep my head high and be in line with my values. I prefer to work with a driver who may be less efficient, but in a healthy and good atmosphere.
In addition, I am president of IRTA, which is the association of Grand Prix teams. I am the team representative and I do not do this out of personal ambition since there is nothing to gain with this job, except that I want to ensure that we become more professional. We have changed security, we have changed life in the paddock, we have changed travel, etc., but there is also the fact that being professional also means respecting one's word and signature. committed. So I know I could take these drivers, but I never will because it's against my core principles. »
Will there be a rider on Jonas' bike at Sepang?
“Honestly, I don’t know. We have three options.
The first is to propose to Yamaha to use one of their Japanese riders to work together and participate in the development effort, which is the aim of these tests at Sepang. Yamaha is thinking about this.
The second possibility is that there is no one on the motorcycle. Tech3 rolls with Zarco, and that's it. It's not impossible at all.
The third possibility is that Yamaha does not need us because everything is already organized, and, our team being on site, why not possibly have a rider ride, but only commit to a contract of one week. Because I repeat to you that the final decision will not be taken before the time to leave for Buriram.”
Today, the name of Yonny hernandez which circulates in Italy is indeed on the list of possibly free pilots which may interest Tech3 at the moment.
Even if it is not yet certain, it is therefore entirely possible that he will participate in the Sepang test, without this boding in any way the rest of his season. A press release should be issued early next week to clarify the situation.
