Folger reacts to first podium finish

Having made his World Championship debut last year on KTM machinery Jonas Folger was recruited by the newly formed Ongetta I.S.P.A. team over the winter and he is proving to be an excellent acquisition.

The German Red Bull MotoGP Academy product coped brilliantly in the tricky conditions at Le Mans on Sunday, riding beyond his years to bring his Aprilia machine home in second place behind the experienced Julián Simón.

It was a superb performance from the 15 year-old who held his nerve for a great result from 16th on the grid, whilst 18 of his colleagues in the 125cc class crashed out of the race. Folger was particularly determined not to do that after himself crashing out in Jerez two weeks earlier, in an epic race which saw him fight through the field from 35th on the grid only to crash out close to the end when pushing for the podium.

Reflecting on his achievement in France, Folger commented, “It feels incredible, I just can’t believe it. It was so strange this weekend and the weather made things so difficult.”

“I started to feel good in the rain on Saturday so I went into the race feeling confident and I just tried to push hard,” he continued. “In the end I caught up with Bradley Smith and I was able to get past him, put some distance between us and hold the advantage.”