As Jonas Folger prepares to take on Maverick Vinales at the upcoming French Grand Prix, he immediately addressed his Tech3 expectations.
with Maverick Vinales He is still sidelined as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery. Tech3 Jonas Folger has confirmed he will replace the injured Spaniard at Le Mans this weekend.
Top Gun has missed the final two rounds of the 2026 campaign, with the KTM-backed satellite outfit one bike away. Ine Bastianini In his absence.
The absence of Maverick Vinales continues at the French GP!
Has his quick return from a shoulder injury ruined his MotoGP career?
Folger last competed in the 2023 premier class as a substitute. Paul Espargaro In Tech 3 for six laps, the Spaniard suffered a serious crash at that year’s Portuguese GP that left him with a broken jaw, fractured vertebrae and concussion.
Jonas Folger says Tech3 ‘can’t expect miracles’ on French GP replacement trip
During the interview with Speed ​​week Ahead of his return to MotoGP, Folger insisted he would not be in the middle of any ‘miracles’. French GP this weekend.
Folger knows the team well, having competed in all 19 Premier League games for the Tech3 outfit. As such, they are well aware of his abilities, and he himself is not under any illusions.
“You can’t expect miracles,” he began. “Gone are the days when you can keep up with the top three with 2 seconds off the pace per lap. The fact that Torak Razgatlioglu is currently riding at the back of the field says it all.”
Did Toprak Razgatlioglu save his season at the Spanish Grand Prix? 😳
How did he save that?!
“First and foremost, it’s about me standing up for Maverick to ride the bike. I don’t have any pressure with KTM either. I just have to ride for myself, make sure I get in the mix and get the best out of it.”
Anything can happen, but we don’t usually finish in the points, the main thing is I don’t waste three seconds a lap, I have to learn quickly; I’ve been in this situation before when I replaced Paul Espargaro.
“It was an absolute slog when you were thrown on the bike at night. The others went out full throttle for the first practice session.
“I have to make sure that I don’t go too fast, but at the same time I can’t lose too much space, it will be a big challenge, so there is no question, there is no specific target.”
Jonas Folger could take inspiration from Lorenzo Savadori’s replacement for the 2025 French GP.
While being a substitute rider in MotoGP is one of the most difficult tasks a challenger can undertake, there were occasions when a stop exceeded expectations.
For example, last year’s French GP Lorenzo Savadori I was surprised by the finish of the P9 George Martin Aprilia Cycling as the 2024 world champion continues his recovery amid an injury-plagued campaign.
While it’s not exactly what screams of a top ten entry on paper yet, a P9 finish this weekend for the Folger would certainly be an improvement on Vinales’ claim of P16 and P18 in the Grand Prix over the first two rounds of 2026.
Folger can take credit for his replacement ride at Le Mans. In the year He secured his first podium in Grand Prix motorcycle racing during the 125cc days in 2009, so he has some fond memories of the track.
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