After withdrawal from the 2018 MotoGP season, Jonas Folger’s fellow Stefan Bradl carefully analysed the situation of Tech 3 Yamaha rider.
Folger will not return to the team this year due to his illness. He was missed the final four rounds of the 2017 season after being diagnosed with Gilbert’s syndrome.
“I cannot talk about Folger’s situation because I don’t know all the reasons for his withdrawal. Maybe the pressure was too strong, or the main problem was his physical condition. It’s a real shame anyway.” Bradl said.
“I realised that MotoGP requires a lot more, physically, than Moto2. And that’s not all: everything is multiplied. In the queen category the weekends are full of commitments, from Thursday morning to Sunday evening you rest just half an hour.
“The pressure coming from the outside is important. Then, if you are the only pilot in a country, all eyes are on you. I have experienced it and I think that Jonas understands what I mean.” Bardl added.
The Superbike World Championship wonders about the situation that Folger may have lived in Tech 3 Yamaha but that having a teammate as Johann Zarco at the team has added a pressure.
“Jonas had an immediate fast teammate to compare himself to. Zarco is a good rider, you can try to ignore him, to focus only on you, but you still want to be the best in the team and you still try.” Bradl said.
Jonas Folger forced to withdraw from the 2018 MotoGP season. (Source:www.eurosport.com)
Bradl, meanwhile, he is ready to become as test rider for Honda MotoGP. He is going to test the Honda RC213V on January 28-30.
After a difficult convalescence following a wrist injury that resulted in several operations, he will be well in the front position with the Honda RC213V, alongside the test drivers of other manufacturers.
The machine has to do this, underwent some modifications in 2017, the screamer engine setting having been replaced by the engine blocking Big Bang to improve the motor skills of the machine.
It turns out that Bradl never rode the machine with the engine control system of Magnetti Marelli although he knows the system. It will undoubtedly be, under the watchful eye and demanding.
