Fired up Tech3 duo ready to get back to business at Czech GP
Johann Zarco and Jonas Folger keenly await the Monster Energy sponsored Czech Grand Prix after the summer break where they hope to continue their superb rookie MotoGP campaigns. Top independent rider Johann Zarco aims to bring his Yamaha home in a notable position with his sights set on sealing another podium to consolidate his 6th position in the championship standings. Whilst Jonas Folger confidently seeks to seal a top tier finish after memorably clinching a 2nd place finish at his home Grand Prix. The action commences at 9:55 on Friday.
Johann Zarco
Championship: 6th – Points: 84
“The Czech GP is coming and after the summer break, my energy is good. I have a lot of confidence for this track and since the start of my racing career, I’ve been quite fast there. It was a tricky weekend at the Sachsenring, but I learnt a lot, and Jonas’ podium performance has given me a high level of motivation for the next rounds. When I struggled a bit in Germany, he did such a solid job, which means that we have the right bike and team. Overall, the layout of the Brno track is very good for the Yamaha so I will be focused and I hope to achieve strong results on all three days. I will push every time and work for the race where maybe I can get a podium.”
Jonas Folger
Championship: 7th – Points: 71
“I am really looking forward to getting back on my Yamaha at Brno. It was nice to have a short summer break and recharge the batteries after Sachsenring, and now I aim to go to the Czech Republic and keep the same positive feeling from the last race. I feel confident and I think that the bike can work really well at Brno and together with the improvements that we have made, I’m sure that we can have another great weekend. We want to show once again that we are very competitive and that we can stay at the front and be strong at this race.”
Hervé PONCHARAL
Team manager
“After what seems like a long time off for the summer break, everyone is incredibly impatient to get going again. I can tell you that both Johann and Jonas can’t wait to get back on their YZR-M1 MotoGP bikes in the Czech Republic and do what they do best. Of course, the riders have been following the testing of the other teams, especially those that went to Brno, and I’m sure this made them jealous but keen to return to work. It was nice to have some time off to reflect on the incredible first part of the year for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team. However, we all thought a lot about how we can perform as well as we did in the opening nine rounds, in the second half of the season. The schedule will be full on for the next few months, with three races in August, two in September and then the super busy month in October with three back-to-back flyaway events. Yet, for now, everyone is excited and ready to return in Brno. Our batteries are fully recharged, physically and mentally, which is also very important and you always eat better when you are hungry and we are really hungry to restart the season! The Czech circuit is special but the weekend will be even more important for us as it’s an event which is sponsored by Monster Energy, our title sponsors. A lot of top Monster Energy staff will be attending the race and I truly hope that we can make some progress with our talks. The feeling is positive on both sides, but we haven’t finalised anything yet so I am looking forward to shaking hands with all the relevant people so that we can finish the year with a comfortable state of mind. Everyone will be glad to be back at the track soon and we all can’t wait for FP1 to start on Friday in the Czech Republic.”