Jonas Folger gained his first experience of the new MotoGP™ format on Saturday in Austin, with qualifying in the morning and the sprint in the afternoon.
A harmless crash in the first few minutes of the session prevented Jonas Folger from improving his lap times and therefoe to end up 22nd on the starting grid. In the afternoon Folger experienced his first ever sprint competition, with only three practice sessions and one qualifying session beforehand aboard the KTM RC16 of the GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 Team. The main goal was to finish the 10 laps race and at the same time learn more about the bike. For the replacement rider of Pol Espargaro, who finished 20th, this mission is accomplished successfully.
#94 Jonas FOLGER (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3, KTM RC16)
“It was a really tough race for me because the bike felt different than in practice and qualifying. We made small changes to the front suspension, but the feeling was negative, probably also because of the heat. It is a pity, because overall I expected a little bit more from this sprint. Our main problem at the moment is still to find the right ergonomics, because I do not feel comfortable enough on the bike and sometimes, I feel that I do not have it under control. Anyway, I want to thank the team because they are behind me in every situation, and I am looking forward to the race tomorrow.”
