Tech3 MotoGP team re-signs Jonas Folger for 2018 season
Tech3 Yamaha will field an unchanged MotoGP line-up in 2018, re-signing Jonas Folger to partner Johann Zarco
The satellite outfit opted for an all-rookie line-up this year to replace KTM recruits Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith.
Zarco has starred in the first five races, sitting fifth in the championship after taking his first podium at Le Mans.
The dual Moto2 champion's 2018 extension was announced during that French Grand Prix weekend, and Tech3 has followed with confirmation it will also keep Folger.
The German is ninth in the championship and the only rider to have scored points in every race, with a best result of sixth in Argentina.
"So far this year, I am very pleased with the performances that we have produced, including the pre-season tests, but there is much more to come from me," he said.
"For the rest of 2017 as well as next year, I believe that we can carry on progressing and making solid strides forward.
"I'm already excited to see what we can do in the next months together and so, I have to thank the boss and everyone involved at Tech3 for what they have done so far, and for having faith in me, and I will always give my absolute all on the Yamaha YZR-M1."
Tech3 boss Herve Poncharal believes the early renewal will help Folger.
"For sure, everyone is very impressed with his team-mate Johann and there may be a bit more attention on him, but we cannot forget that Jonas is doing a superb job as a rookie," he said.
"Our German rider is fast, safe, is keen to learn and I know his potential and I am very confident that he can achieve what we are all expecting.
"A rider always performs better when there is less weight on his shoulders and they have their future sorted for the following season.
"So this news will help Jonas to concentrate 100% without any distractions and again, I am fully confident that he will reward the team, Yamaha and our sponsors with some great results."
Marc Marquez: Honda MotoGP bike acceleration still inconsistent
The winners and losers of MotoGP's reshuffle
MotoGP riders praise new Red Bull Ring chicane
The new chicane at Red Bull Ring’s Turn 2 has been met with widespread praise from MotoGP riders following its debut in Friday practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.
Quartararo slams "totally stupid" MotoGP sprint race plans
Reigning MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo says the series' plans to have sprint races in 2023 are "totally stupid" and claims he was never told about them.
MotoGP Austrian GP: Zarco leads FP2 as Ducatis dominate
Pramac’s Johann Zarco ended second practice for the MotoGP Austrian Grand Prix fastest of all by just 0.024 seconds from factory Ducati rider Jack Miller.
Espargaro joins rebranded GasGas Tech3 KTM MotoGP squad in 2023
Eight-time MotoGP podium finisher Pol Espargaro will officially return to KTM and Tech3 next season after signing a two-year deal, paving the way for Joan Mir to join Honda.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special