Coming second this time last year in the Moto2™ class, to now Monster Yamaha Tech3 team mate Johann Zarco, will undoubtedly add pressure this weekend for Jonas Folger.
After scoring points in the first seven rounds of his rookie season in the MotoGP™ class, the German native failed to secure any points at the Dutch TT when an error on saw him crash out of the race. This means that there are now no riders in the 2017 MotoGP™ class who have scored points all eight races of the year; the last time this occurred was 1995.
Along with notable celebrations at the new Sachsenring track itself, 2017 will see Germany commemorate holding a Grand Prix event in each of the last 80 years, an impressive contribution to the MotoGP™ calendar. The only German rider in the current MotoGP™ line-up, Folger will have his opportunity to shine this round though, riding on home soil for the first time in the premier-class. A strong finish will see him retain the consistency of previous races this season, and hold firm to his position in the top tier of the Championship.
Favourable track conditions will see Folger compete for the best result by a German rider in the MotoGP™ at the Sachsenring since racing returned to the circuit in 1998 – previously a fourth place by Stefan Bradl in 2013.
Jonas Folger: “It goes without saying that I’m looking forward to Sachsenring. It’s a special race for me every season but even more so this year because I am in the MotoGP class. A lot of people in Germany will support me at the track and I hope there will be a big crowd. We did a great job in Assen, apart from in the race, where I made a big mistake, which I won’t do again. I think that we can perform well in Germany and I hope that the weather stays dry because it was a bit complicated to set the bike up in Assen as the conditions were always so mixed. Anyway, I will do my absolute best to make my home crowd proud this weekend.”