After a three-year hiatus, Jonas Folger is returning to MotoGP: He will replace the injured Maverick Viñales at Tech3-KTM for the race at Le Mans
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 Viñales at the upcoming French Grand Prix in Le Mans. For Folger, it’s a return to familiar territory, as he spent his most successful period in the World Championship with the French team.
Folger, now 32, competed in his last MotoGP races in 2023. Most recently, he worked as a development rider for KTM. He will now step in at short notice at Le Mans. “On a personal level, I’m really looking forward to reuniting with the guys at Tech3. I share a 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 made his debut in the premier class for the team, which was still equipped with Yamaha machinery at the time. His home race at the Sachsenring remains unforgettable, as he kept pace with Marc Marquez for lap after lap and ultimately finished second on the podium.
It remains unclear when Vinales will return
However, it remained his only full season, as he developed burnout syndrome at the end of 2017 and had to put his career on hold. As early as 2023, he stepped in for Tech3 in several races as a replacement for Pol Espargaro and earned valuable World Championship points.
Despite his anticipation, Folger is aware of the difficulty of the task. “Le Mans will be a big challenge, as I’m returning after so many years away from racing. Getting back on the bike means adapting quickly and learning a lot over the weekend,” says the German.
Meanwhile, Viñales must continue to watch from the sidelines. The Spaniard underwent surgery at the end of March to have a displaced screw removed from his shoulder. After already missing the races in Austin and Jerez, a comeback was actually planned for his team’s home race at Le Mans. But a visit to the Red Bull Athletic Performance Center (APC) dashed those plans.
“I’ve been working hard on my full recovery since the surgery and always had Le Mans in mind as my target race for my return. However, after visiting the APC this week, I was advised that I’m not yet strong enough to get back on the bike,” Vinales explains the decision.
Since KTM’s regular reserve rider, Pol Espargaro, is still sidelined due to injury, the choice fell on Folger. It remains unclear for now when Vinales will be able to return to racing.
