Academy rider gains experience in French race

Red Bull MotoGP Academy rider Jonas Folger took the first step along a road that will prime him for potential World Championship appearances last Sunday, participating in his first race of the French 125cc Championship.

Now in his third year with the youth initiative, the 14 year-old German has been chosen to compete in a number of national series in order to gain valuable experience of new circuits. The first such test for Folger came at the Le Mans circuit, where he experienced mixed fortunes over the course of the weekend.

The teenager learnt the wet track on the Friday afternoon, and made an immediate mark on the series with a pole position in the dry the following day, recording a time of 1´47.260.

Unfortunately Sunday didn´t go so well for Folger, as he slid off track whilst leading a rain-affected race on lap two.

The German will get another chance to impress at a Grand Prix circuit later this month, when he is entered in a race for the Italian Championship as the sole rider for the Red Bull MotoGP Academy team. Folger will be showcasing his talents in the Mugello round of the series on April 20th.