Dutch WorldSBK rider Michael van der Mark will replace the recovering Jonas Folger at Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in the season finale at Valencia following his first taste of the M1 at Sepang last time out. Van der Mark - the 2014 World Supersport Champion - had a solid first outing and will be hoping for more stable weather at Valencia, where he arrives following a strong fourth place finish in the final race of the World Superbike season at Qatar.
Michael van der Mark: "It’s a shame that Jonas cannot ride in Valencia, but I am really honoured that Hervé asked me again because I think it showed that I did quite a good job in Sepang. I have not ridden in Valencia for a long time, but hopefully, it will be a little bit easier than the race in Malaysia, now that I know the bike, the tyres and the brakes more. The most important thing is that I hope we have a normal dry weekend, where I can ride a lot of laps and improve myself together with the bike. I just want to make steps forward and close the gap to the front guys plus, just enjoy the occasion because it's an amazing opportunity.