Zarco and Folger ready to shine at Tech3 Home Grand Prix in Le Mans
The Monster Yamaha Tech3 duo keenly await the Grand Prix de France where they fully intend to complete the team’s home event with two top tier results in front of the passionate French crowd. All eyes will be on home hero Johann Zarco who will aim to storm to glory and carry on his impressive run of results as he currently sits as the leading independent rider in the championship standings. Whilst Jonas Folger will seek to continue his notable momentum and score his fourth top ten finish in 2017. The event kicks off with Free Practice One at 09:55 this Friday.
Johann ZARCO
Championship: 6th – Points: 35
“The French Grand Prix is coming up and for sure, it will be a very interesting weekend. I am excited about racing in my home country because the beginning of this season has been superb so far in MotoGP with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team. As a result, I think that the French fans are waiting for me and for this event. There is some pressure but I tried to manage it at home, in the week before the GP, where I rested and saved the positive energy. The first three venues that we have visited this year are much bigger than Le Mans, but the Bugatti circuit is small like the Jerez track. In addition, I have the advantage of knowing that because I had a good feeling in Spain, I can have a great feeling in France. I will fight for the best position and possibly even a top three because I am always getting closer and closer to the rostrum, which is the main target. I aim to have a strong race and then fight for the podium to make the Tech3 team, myself and all the French fans happy.”
Jonas FOLGER
Championship: 8th – Points: 29
“I am really looking forward to the fifth round of the World Championship which will take place at the legendary Le Mans circuit. It’s the home Grand Prix for the team so of course, it’s a special race and there will be a lot of fans supporting us trackside in France. The circuit has recently been resurfaced so we will be able to experience the new asphalt, which I am excited about. I remember that it was a bit bumpy in the last few years and I had some trouble with this, plus I had a few crashes. However, it’s going to be great this year because I really like this circuit and combined with the fact that there will be new tarmac, it will be fun. I hope that we can continue working in the same way that we did in Jerez, and I will do my absolute best to get a strong result for the team in France.”
Hervé PONCHARAL
Team Manager
“Obviously the weekend will be very important for us as it’s the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. This year we have extra motivation as well as some additional pressure but it will be an even more special race because we have a French rider in our MotoGP team. He is the double Moto2 World Champion and the man who is leading the ‘Rookie of the year’ fight, plus he is the top independent rider in the championship standings and his name is Johann Zarco! We have always had a lot of support in Le Mans, but this time we will have more, because of Johann. This is really exciting but it goes without saying that there’s pressure on everyone. We know that the French Grand Prix will not bring us more points than any another round, but for us, it’s the place where we want to do well and put on a good show for our home crowd. There are a lot of people who just come to this race and for sure most of them will be behind Johann and Tech3 so this is a round where we would really like to get a great result. We know that the Yamaha is always good at the Bugatti circuit and the track has been resurfaced so it will have more grip and no more big bumps. Clearly, the lap time will be quicker but we have to see how we get on. The weather is always difficult in Le Mans, and it looks like we could have rain showers on all three days, which is another tricky thing to handle. Yet, we fully trust Michelin to bring the best tyres and the right compounds to match the new track surface and the weather conditions which we may encounter. I have spoken about Johann who will be the home hero, but we also have Jonas Folger who is doing an exceptional job in his rookie season and we are happy with his work and determination. So the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team is delighted to go to Le Mans and for sure you can rely on us to give 120% in order to achieve the best result. We will see you all there and we hope there will be a big crowd who will all enjoy a great weekend of MotoGP racing.”