Mapfre Aspar Preview Moto3 Valencia

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The Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia provides the perfect amphitheatre for a weekend of drama as the Moto3 World Championship reaches its climax this Sunday. Just like it did in 2011 the minor category title has gone down to the final round but this time there are three riders still in with a strong mathematical chance: Luis Salom, Maverick Viñales and Alex Rins. Just five points separate the Spanish trio in a winner-takes-all showdown on home soil.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger lies fifth in the championship on 163 points but his motivation for the final race of the season could not be higher as he looks to sign off from the Moto3 class in style. The German rider arrives in Valencia high on confidence having finished on the podium in the last race at Motegi and he knows this circuit can be good for him, having set pole position here last season. MAPFRE Aspar Team rookie Eric Granado is also confident of ending a difficult debut season on a high at a circuit he knows well.

Jonas Folger: 

“I am really excited about the GP de la Comunidad Valenciana, which is going to be a special weekend for many reasons. It is my team's home race and it will be my last appearance in the minor category so I want to sign off in style. We come here on the back of a podium in Japan and I know that we can be back there on Sunday so that's what we'll be fighting for. I know the circuit well from my early days racing and all the team know it perfectly too so I am sure this experience will help us do things right this weekend. I am looking forward to enjoying myself on the bike. Last year I set pole position but we weren't able to follow it up in the race because of a technical problem but I know I can be very fast around.”

Eric Granado: 

“I am really looking forward to the Gran Premio de la Comunidad Valenciana. I basically started my riding career at this circuit, I know it well and I always feel great riding there. I live near the circuit so it is pretty much my home race. We will try our best to do a good job all weekend, qualify high up the grid and give ourselves the chance to have a good race. We have been close to the points for a few races now so hopefully this Sunday we can take another step and get back in the points in the final race of the season. I spent last week resting and recovering from the flyaways, I feel highly motivated and ready to tackle the last race.”

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Folger battles pain to lap eleventh fastest at Aragon

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After undergoing surgery on his fractured ankle last Monday MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger was back on his bike today and managed to rack up nineteen laps. Jonas was given a painkilling injections this morning and after a difficult first session he underwent intense physio over lunch and was a bit more comfortable in the afternoon, allowing him to set the eleventh fastest time as well as the highest top speed (228.8 km/h). MAPFRE Aspar Team rookie Eric Granado admitted he was surprised by how technical Motorland is, having struggled to adapt today and only managing the 34th fastest time.

11th Jonas Folger 2.01.302 (19 laps): 

“After a long and busy day my ankle is quite painful and as soon as I stop moving it starts to burn. I had an injection in the affected area this morning and it allowed me to ride all day so I am happy because my pace was good. Now I need to keep working on the ankle this evening. If I am not on the bike I am undergoing physio and trying to get it fixed as quickly as possible. We didn't touch the bike setting today, just tried some different tyres, so it is good that we have something that seems to work.”

34th Eric Granado 2.03.434 (25 laps): 

“I didn't get to do many laps this morning because we had a problems with the gearbox. I spent time in the afternoon riding alone trying to get my references but I struggled to get into any kind of rhythm. Unfortunately at a Grand Prix you have to be on the pace straight away but I have found it difficult to get up to speed here at Aragón. I didn't have a good feeling with the bike and started to lose confidence. The only good thing today is that we tried a new fairing that seems to work well.”

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Jonas Folger hoping to continue podium form, Eric Granado aiming for points

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MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger scored his second podium of the season at Brno but wasn't able to follow up with a third at Silverstone, where he was hindered by a set-up problem. Even so the German remains the highest-placed non-Spaniard in the championship on 120 points and in fourth position overall. His rookie team-mate Eric Granado has prior knowledge of Misano thanks to a private test there and the Brazilian youngster is hopeful that this experience can help him break into the points-scoring positions this weekend.

Jonas Folger: “A week off has been a nice opportunity to get away from the routine of paddock life and I have taken the chance to get some training done. Now I go to Misano feeling fully recharged and ready, so I hope we can have another good race like Brno. We have been doing a good job recently and at Brno it paid off, so after missing out on the podium at Silverstone I will be fighting hard to get back there this weekend. I love Misano, it's a nice track with some tight corners and some hard braking zones, which I am sure will suit us. Hopefully we can have a weekend without too many ups and downs. We want to be consistent from Friday and have a set-up that works right through until Sunday. We know that if we can manage this we can be running at the front.”

Eric Granado: “Since Silverstone I have spent my time in Alcoy (Spain), training hard in the gym and on the bicycle. With three races in as many weekends before that I'd not had much time to train so it was great to get back into a routine. Misano is quite a twisty track and we will have to go for a set-up that offers good handling. I didn't race there last year but I know the track and I think it can be a good one for us. We did a good job at Silverstone from Friday, working to find a fast and consistent race pace. Now we need to reproduce this more regularly.”

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Folger flies to UK on form after Brno podium

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The Moto3 bikes will be dwarfed by the longest circuit on the calendar this weekend as the series heads to Silverstone for the eleventh round of the championship. This famous old track measures just shy of six kilometres and with its flat but fast layout it is also one of the most technical. Three riders remain inseparable at the top of the championship but as the season enters its second phase any number of contenders are targeting the podium.  

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger is determined to be there after returning to the rostrum at Brno on Sunday. The German is finally reaping the rewards of a season of hard work and he is looking more and more like the title contender from last season. Jonas returns to the scene of his debut Grand Prix win back in 2011 full of confidence and determined to raise his game again. On the other side of the garage his MAPFRE Aspar team-mate Eric Granado is focusing on improving his race pace after an impressive qualifying session at Brno failed to materialise into points. The Brazilian rookie gets his next chance to impress on British soil.

Jonas Folger: “We took a big step forward at Brno and we go to Silverstone in a great mood. Things already started to come together for us at Indianapolis but we didn't get our rewards so it was a nice boost for us to pick up the result at Brno and confirm that we are working in the right direction. The bike is handling really well now and at Silverstone we will try and take another step closer to the front. Our rivals are very strong so we need to work on improving our performance levels and hopefully that will see us back on the podium. I have good memories of Silverstone because I scored my first ever win there and I am sure we can do a good job this weekend.”

Eric Granado: “Silverstone is a long and technical track and I will have to work hard there otherwise it's easy to get lost. I have a good bike and a great team and we are doing things in the right way but just falling short in certain aspects at the moment. We need to improve our race pace because that is what cost us on Sunday, so the goal will be to get started straight away at Silverstone on Friday. I made my World Championship debut there last year and it was a difficult weekend for me but I am sure that things will be different this weekend and we can come away with a good result.”

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Folger to head up third row at Brno

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After Maverick Viñales set the pace yesterday and Luis Salom this morning, today was the turn of Alex Rins to step to the fore, the Spaniard raising the bar to dip into the 2'07s and comfortably seal his third consecutive pole position in the Moto3 class by over half a second. Just two tenths cover second place to seventh, however, making for what promises to be a wide open battle for the podium tomorrow.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger is one of the riders keen to challenge for a top three finish after making a radical switch to his Mugello set-up for qualifying this afternoon. The gamble paid off for the German rider, who will line up in seventh place at a circuit where he celebrated a memorable victory last year. Eric Granado will be hoping for a repeat of his Mugello result tomorrow after equalling his best grid of the season, recorded at the Italian round. The Brazilian youngster finished ninth in that race after qualifying fifteenth and despite a crash this afternoon he is confident of a strong challenge for points tomorrow.

7th Jonas Folger 2.08.716 (12 laps): “We went out in qualifying with the set-up from Mugello, a similar circuit to this, because it worked well there and we wanted to try it. It felt better than anything we have found so far this weekend and even though it wasn't ideal I felt more comfortable. We made some modifications to the rear suspension, which cost us a little time, and did some tyre tests to narrow down our options for tomorrow. The feedback was good but we need to try a couple more things in warm-up tomorrow. Seventh place is not exactly what we were hoping for but to be just a couple of tenths off the front row shows that we can be fighting in the lead group tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn't rain so that we can keep learning about this bike.”

15th Eric Granado 2.09.401 (14 laps): “We have equalled our best grid of the season from Mugello. I was struggling for confidence on the rear yesterday but thankfully that wasn't the case today and I felt good on the bike. I dropped my times relatively easily this morning and felt good this afternoon, improving my lap times again towards the end and doing some tyre tests for the race. My last run was behind my team-mate Folger and I learnt a lot from him. He has some smooth lines and that helped me tighten up my own riding. I had a crash four minutes from the end but it's nothing major and I will be ready for the race.”

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Jonas Folger Maintains Good Form in Brno

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MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger started out this morning with the same bike set-up as Indianapolis and it served him well as he ended the first session with the fourth fastest time. As the day progressed the German struggled with some grip and vibration issues that slowed his progress but after finishing with the fifth fastest time, less than half a second off the top, the signs are positive if he can make improvements tomorrow. MAPFRE Aspar Team rookie Eric Granado endured a difficult first day, the Brazilian youngster struggling to adapt to the demands of Brno on a Moto3 bike having only ever ridden a Moto2 here before and finishing up down in 33rd position.

5th Jonas Folger 2.09.412 (25 laps): “We arrived here with the same set-up as Indianapolis, which was a good base, but we have made a few alterations as the day went on. The lap times improved but the bike was sliding around at the apex of the corners and we had some vibrations, especially on new tyres, that we weren't able to fix. It seems the bike is too stiff so we have played around with the suspension and this will be our main focus tomorrow. We have quite a lot of work to do.”

33rd Eric Granado 2.12.067 (31 laps): “I have struggled to get a feel for the track today. I rode here last year on the Moto2 bike but it is like a completely different track on a Moto3 and I think that is partly why I am having trouble. I need to improve my corner speed and exits. This morning we played around with the geometry and shortened the wheelbase to try and get the bike handling better, which helped, but we still have a lot of work to do. I need more confidence when it comes to opening the throttle. We are a bit lost at the moment but there is a long way to go in this Grand Prix and we will work hard to improve the situation tomorrow.”

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Jonas Folger fired up for European return

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No sooner had the Moto3 World Championship riders crossed the line at Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon than they started to think about the next race in just a matter of days on the other side of the Atlantic. The series continues without respite this weekend in the Czech Republic, the second in a run of three back-to-back races that will no doubt prove crucial to the outcome of the championship. With nine rounds of seventeen gone the Moto3 class has been dominated by three riders – Luis Salom, Maverick Viñales and Alex Rins – but there are plenty of contenders out there who are more than capable of making a major statement between now and the end of the season.

MAPFRE Aspar riders Jonas Folger and Eric Granado travel to Brno having experienced contrasting fortunes at Indianapolis. Folger worked tirelessly throughout the weekend to improve the set-up of his bike and then battled to make up positions in the race, crossing the line in fourth place. The German is now targeting a return to the podium positions at Brno, where he celebrated victory in this class last season. Granado crashed out at Indianapolis but the Brazilian youngster is taking the positives from an otherwise encouraging weekend and aiming to score points for the second time this season.

Jonas Folger: 

“I enjoyed an amazing weekend at Brno last year, which culminated with my first victory for the MAPFRE Aspar Team, and just for that reason I am looking forward to going back there this week. At Indianapolis we put together our most consistent race of the season so far and I am sure we can continue with this level of performance from now on. Brno is a huge circuit, it is fast and fun but also challenging. We will have to work hard on the set-up of the bike and try to take advantage of the slipstreams on the long straights if we are going to be competitive again on Sunday.”

Eric Granado: 

“Even though I didn't manage to finish the race at Indianapolis we travelled back from America feeling very satisfied because overall it was one of the best weekends I have had with the MAPFRE Aspar Team. We did a lot of work on finding a fast and consistent pace and hopefully all that work can translate to this weekend. I feel very well supported by the team, who are working hard to make sure I make constant progress and now I want to show my thanks to the mechanics be scoring a good result for them. Brno is a fast and flowing circuit and I think it can be good for us. The most important thing will be to qualify well so that we don't get involved in any incidents on the early laps.”

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Folger Keeps Cool Amidst Front End Chatter Issues at Mugello

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Amidst temperatures of 20ºC and with clear skies overhead, the Moto3 race at Mugello saw the best conditions of the entire weekend. The action was split into two groups: The leading pack and the trailing group.  Jonas Folger, Maverick Viñales, Luis Salom and Alex Rins set the early pace, soon joined by Miguel Oliveira and Alex Marquez before a quarter of the race had been completed. That group of six would decide who would be on the top step of the podium, as expected after yesterday’s close qualifying session. There were battles all the way down the order, with only Antonelli out on his own. Victory eventually went to Salom in a tight finish. He pushed hardest on the final metres of the race, winning out ahead of Rins and Viñales at round five of the series. 

Perseverance and grit combined once again at Mugello for MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger, who dug deep in order to earn the best possible result at the Italian Grand Prix. From pole position and with the idea of breaking away, Folger led the field in the early going. He was in front for the opening two laps, before Viñales passed him for the lead. He stuck with the frontrunners until the midway point in the contest, at which time his tyres went off prematurely and he battled with chatter issues. Despite this, he held on for sixth place at Mugello.

Like Folger, teammate Eric Granado got off to a great start –one that left him in a position to compete with the chasing pack. He enjoyed the race immensely, pushed hard and showed excellent control of his pace, and received a just reward for his efforts as he crossed the line in ninth place, taking his first seven points in the World Championship. 

6th Jonas Folger: 

"After a good start I tried to push hard, but the race times were slow compared with the laps we’d been doing in practice. When I was caught by Viñales I tried to stay in the leading group, but soon after I noticed that the bike was behaving in a completely different way to yesterday and this morning. We had not changed anything, the setting was the same, and the weather conditions had not changed too much, so I don’t know what could have happened. I suffered a lot of chattering from the middle of the race onwards, and that prevented me from maintaining good lines on my laps. I had to be very careful in order to avoid crashing, but I still tried to push hard for the best possible final position and I managed to cross the line sixth."

9th Eric Granado:"

I had a great race today. A good start allowed me to gain several positions at the beginning of the race. Jorge and Gino advised me to always look ahead and not waste time with the riders behind me. I followed their advice and thanks to that I found a good pace immediately. I had a lot of fun riding in a group, as I knew that there were many riders trying to stay in front for as long as possible in order to avoid any surprises. I gave my all on every lap, feeling out my chances for the end of the race.  I managed to overtake someone on the home straight and finally finished ninth. It was very exciting to take my first points in the World Championship, I'm very happy. Now we have to keep working hard, both at the test on Tuesday and at the next race in Barcelona. I want to thank both the team and the sponsors, who have not given up on me at any time."

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Jonas Folger on Podium Trail at Mugello

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It is just one of seven circuits on the calendar that measure longer than five kilometres, it has one of the longest straights at over a kilometre and with the old 125 machines the podium positions were usually decided on the finish line: it can only be Mugello. The Moto3 World Championship arrives in Italy this weekend for the fifth round of the season with the riders as always looking forward to tackling the sweeping corners and dramatic elevation changes of the Tuscan hills. Viñales, Salom, Rins and Folger have been the four names to dominate the championship so far and after a relatively dull race in inclement conditions at Le Mans the action is sure to crank up a notch this weekend.  

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger missed out on the podium at Le Mans despite leading the race in the early stages. So far the German has stood on the box just once this season despite finishing close to it in every other race, but he is looking to improve that ratio through typical hard work this weekend. His team-mate Eric Granado has a very different target as he looks to score his first points of the season, the MAPFRE Aspar Team rookie having employed some special training techniques this week as he aims to break his duck on Italian soil. 

Jonas Folger: 

“At Le Mans we did a good job and took a step forward in terms of the set-up but we were just out of luck in the race and missed out on the podium. Now at Mugello we have another chance to pick up a positive result. I love the circuit; it's fast and flowing and very technical. You have to really concentrate because when you get one corner wrong it affects the next one and so on. You need a stable and agile bike that is easy to turn in the fast direction changes but at the moment we are improving from race to race so I am sure we can be in the fight for the podium again like at Le Mans”.

Eric Granado: 

“I raced at Mugello last year so I am looking forward to racing at a circuit I already know. I actually had my best result of the season in Moto2 last year and I really liked the track so I think we can do a good job this time. It is fast and has some flowing corners, similar in some ways to Jerez, and after spending the week in Alcoy training hard with Nico I am ready. We have been doing some long training sessions to try and get used to focusing hard for longer periods of time on the bike and I also watched over the race from last year. As far as the set-up of our bike is concerned we're doing a good job and I am sure we can be in the fight for points this weekend. I am going to be working very hard to that end.”

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Fast Friday for Jonas Folger at Le Mans

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The French GP got underway today with the teams looking at the skies but thankfully the black clouds held off until the final five minutes of this afternoon's second session for the Moto3 class, meaning they were able to complete the majority of work planned in free practice. Alex Rins set the pace on the dry track, closely followed by Jonas Folger, Luis Salom and Maverick Viñales, who look to be the main contenders for victory on Sunday should the conditions hold firm, although at Le Mans nothing is ever certain.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Folger has made a typically strong start to the weekend, finishing this morning's session with the third fastest time before going second fastest in the afternoon, losing top spot only in the final few minutes by just 0.006 seconds. On the other side of the MAPFRE Aspar garage Eric Granado completed his first laps of Le Mans today, gradually gathering information about the track and building his pace before finishing with the 29th fastest time of the day. 

2nd Jonas Folger 1.44.153 (30 laps): “It has been a very positive first day here in France and I think we have found the way forward for the rest of the weekend. We took a big step forward with the set-up in the second session. We always seem to be fast on Fridays but the important thing now is to maintain this pace consistently throughout the rest of the weekend. According to the forecast it looks likely we'll have rain tomorrow but hopefully we'll get some dry track time because we have a few modifications in mind. We worked on getting the bike turning in better today and tried to improve our pace on used tyres. We learnt a lot about the way the bike reacts to changes with the set-up and it has made me more confident so I am happy.”

29th Eric Granado 1.47.112 (33 laps): “Today was my first ever time at Le Mans and I like it. Things went well for us this morning and we were able to gather a lot of information about the track. In the second session I struggled to go as fast so we need to improve this. At the end of the session when we put new tyres on it started to rain so that was a shame. Hopefully the weather is kind to us so that we can get more dry time because I like the track.”

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Jonas Folger and Eric Granado Full of Confidence in Le Mans

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The 2013 season gathers pace this weekend as the MotoGP World Championship paddock moves north from Spain to France for the fourth round at the legendary Bugatti circuit in Le Mans, home of the world famous 24 hour race. The Grand Prix circuit measures just 4.180km and features a series of short straights, hard braking zones and tight chicanes. After three rounds of the Moto3 season there have been three different race winners and it would be no surprise to see four out of four this weekend given how close the top riders are in the championship -  Viñales, Salom, Rins and Folger having all established themselves as the early title contenders.

MAPFRE Aspar Team rider Jonas Folger heads to Le Mans with renewed enthusiasm after scoring his first podium of the season at the third attempt in Jerez. Third place in Spain has given the German a timely boost and kickstarted a Moto3 title push that he hopes to see through to the end of the season. Meanwhile his rookie team-mate Eric Granado also took a step forward in the last round, closing in on the points-scoring positions. Now the Brazilian is looking to break into the top fifteen this weekend.

Jonas Folger: 

“I like Le Mans, I have always had a good feeling there and we arrive in optimistic mood after my first podium of the season at Jerez. We have shown in free practice that we have the pace but we need to maintain it right through the weekend and be more consistent in qualifying and the race. The goal this weekend is to improve our pace on used tyres because we seem able to run with the front group over the early laps and then struggle to stay in touch at the end. We spoke with the Kalex engineer about it at Jerez and we are going to try some new ideas at Le Mans. The podium at Jerez was a nice bonus but now we must continue to improve.”

Eric Granado: 

“Le Mans is a new circuit for me but I have been watching videos and playing on the games console to try and learn it. It is short but it looks like fun. I am told that it tends to rain quite a lot in France so hopefully the weather is kind to us this weekend. I have been watching my diet very closely since I've been at home and training specifically to lose weight, which is important in this category because the bikes are so close. Hopefully I can learn the track quickly and find a good set-up. At Jerez we were close to the points but we were lacking a bit of race pace so that is what we need this weekend if we want to break into that top fifteen.”

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Jonas Folger Still Confident for Jerez Race

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First in practice on Friday morning and second in FP3, MAPFRE Aspar’s Jonas Folger, was unable to build on those performances in QP. A tyre gamble went wrong and ruined a good lap time whilst an oil spill on track on the final corner at Jerez almost caused the German to crash. But Folger nonetheless took seventh and he is optimistic that with a good start he can use his free practice pace to fight for the podium. Eric Granado qualified 20th and was feeling good in the final moments of QP, so with a decent pace he aims to secure his first points of the season.

7th Jonas Folger 1.47.793 (16 laps): 

“Having done well in the FP sessions I was hoping for more than that in QP. A couple of errors cost us a decent time and we had some bad luck too. We got the tyre choice wrong at a critical moment and an oil spill on the final turn meant I had to change line to avoid a crash. I was trying to be really careful on that corner and it meant losing time. So it was a strange QP overall. Thankfully the bad luck hasn’t cost me too badly and I’m in seventh. Our pace is good so if I start well in the race I can be in the front group fighting for the podium.” 

20th Eric Granado 1.48.731 (17 laps): 

“Today was better than yesterday as my lap times improved in the morming and the feeling was better. We improved our settings too and got through some of our issues from Friday. I was a bit nervous in QP and I was trying to put together some consecutive fast laps, but I got caught out. In the garage my crew chief Jorge was calming me down and we changed the tyres so the feeling improved. Then my race pace got better. It’s a shame I couldn’t find another three or four tenths as that would have meant a better grid slot, but I’m still satisfied overall. If I start well I can chase some points, the bike is ready so we’ll give it everything we’ve got.”

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Jonas Folger Strikes First at Jerez

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Sunshine at Jerez this morning welcomed the Moto3 riders on track for the first day of the Spanish GP. Warm temperatures were present throughout the day, in which the Moto3 riders were back at the scene of preseason testing in Spain. With so much data gathered, things were very close in the opening session. In the afternoon, two riders were ahead of the rest by six-tenths of a second, although they themselves were separated by just 0.025. Jonas Folger was the fastest rider of the day, ahead of Alex Rins. The pace was slightly lower than in testing (where the quickest lap was a low 1’46) and the day was affected by cuts to the timing and data screens due to power failure at the circuit.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger’s hard work over the winter shone through on Friday. Thanks to data collected at the most recent Moto3 test in Jerez, the German was clear about the task at hand today. He ended the morning session with the second fastest time. Findings from the Austin race also helped him in the afternoon run, as he dominated the final part of the session and took the best lap of the day: 1’47.660. He did so on the eighth lap of his fifteen.

His teammate in the MAPFRE Aspar Team, Eric Granado, felt stronger in the morning session, losing touch slightly in Free Practice 2 as he tried out different tyre compounds. He concluded the day 22nd overall, with a 1’49.851 time two seconds off Folger.

1st Jonas Folger 1.47.660 (29 laps): “I love the feeling of topping the timesheets again, so I hope that tomorrow we can continue in the same way. On the Sunday in Austin we took a step forward with our setup. After thousands of trials, we found a good combination and it worked really well. Basically, the front end behaves well and that allows us to get the best line when going into a corner. With everything that we learnt in the United States, today we just needed to make a few small adjustments. There is no better way to start a Grand Prix than by dominating, so I am very satisfied. We have to be prudent, because it is only the first day, but we are laying good foundations. We’ve been close to the top in the last few races, although we haven’t quite been close enough to podium. I hope that this Sunday is different.”

22nd Eric Granado 1.49.851 (34 laps): “We did a good job this morning which allowed us to immediately feel good. In the afternoon we started off on used tyres and I found it harder to get on the pace. Maybe we went the wrong way with our suspension settings. We changed the tyres and my confidence improved, even though the rear was shaking me about too much. At the end of the session we put on a harder front. I haven’t started as well as I hoped, but the session was good for me in terms of trying out various compounds and finding a feel for things. I know that I can be higher up the order, so tomorrow we will work hard so that this happens. We want to leave the bike completely ready to race.”

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Jonas Folger Targets Podium on Jerez

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After kicking off the season with two flyaway races the Moto3 World Championship arrives in Europe this weekend as the Spanish Grand Prix signals the start of an intense summer of racing on the 'old continent'. The circuit of Jerez will provide a warm welcome to all of the riders but in particular the three home favourites fighting for the championship lead: Alex Rins, Luis Salom and Maverick Viñales. Jonas Folger is hoping to spoil the home party, the German looking to finally make the podium after narrowly missing out in Qatar and Texas.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Folger will work tirelessly towards his top-three target and knows this weekend is a big opportunity for him to achieve it. After struggling to adapt to the Circuit of Americas he knows he has a set-up for Jerez thanks to the preseason testing that took place here and he will be looking to be on the pace from the first session on Friday morning. Eric Granado is also looking forward to riding at a circuit he knows well, having competed here in the Spanish Championship before taking the step up to world level. The Moto3 rookie was the surprise package of winter testing here and is hoping for a similar outcome this weekend.

Jonas Folger: 

“I am feeling very positive ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. We struggled to adapt to the circuit in Texas but we gathered a lot of data that should prove useful this weekend. The engine performance improved and we found some solutions for the front end that we will continue to experiment with this Friday at Jerez. I am looking forward to getting there, I have confidence in the job we are doing and I am sure we can take the step we need this weekend to fight at the very front. The objective is to do a good job in practice and be ready to fight for the podium on Sunday. I love the Jerez circuit, I know it well from my time in the Academy and it feels like a home race to me.”

Eric Granado: 

“I am so looking forward to getting to Jerez and starting work. Finally we go to a track I know! In the first race in Qatar I struggled to adapt to the circuit and the second race wasn't easy either although thankfully in Austin we found some solutions that set us on the right path and hopefully we can continue to improve this weekend. I know Jerez really well and I know we are capable of a good result there. In fact, we already had a good feeling there in the final test of preseason and finished in a decent position.”

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Jonas Folger One Step Away from the Podium

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Today saw the first ever Moto3 race at the Circuit of the Americas, and it was split into two parts thanks to a red flag. An interval was called with 8 laps to go, due to a crash by Jasper Iwema. The first part of the race had seen few surprises, with Rins, Salom and Viñales at the front from the first row of the grid. The trio had been fastest in practice and in the race, but the stoppage caused the field to bunch up again. In a five-lap shootout, Salom and Rins fought for the win, whilst Viñales and Folger were slightly further back. In the end, Rins took the victory after a thrilling final lap, whilst Viñales and Salom completed a second all-Spanish podium of the Moto3 season.

It is no secret that MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger had esperienced a tough weekend at the Circuit of the Americas, but despite this he was still able to put in a great performance. Yesterday he managed to qualify fifth, overcoming a lack of confidence with the front end. Today in the first part of the race he rode solo in fourth place. He was able to improve his front end issue in the break and was ready to consolidate fourth position when the Moto3 field set off again. The German rider was just one place off a podium finish, again taking valuable points for his World Championship tally.

Teammate Eric Granado also had some fortune with the appearance of the red flag. The Brazilian had started poorly in the first part of the race, but found a good pace early on after the restart. His day was soured by a crash on the final corner of the race, which dropped him from a fight for points to 23rd place.

4th Jonas Folger:
"During the weekend we found it quite hard to adapt to the Circuit of the Americas. Despite this, we never stopped fighting in any of the practice sessions –nor in the race today. I have to admit that the break in the race benefitted us, because it allowed me to give some useful information to my team to make chances. With that, we took a step forward. In the end I finished fourth, and it was a shame I could not fight for the podium. We must be satisfied that we again took a lot of points, despite our problems. At the end of the weekend we improved our performance. I tried to give my best in both of the two parts, but perhaps in the second part I made a few mistakes when trying to stop the group from breaking away. That meant I couldn’t stick with Viñales until the final lap. Obviously we would have liked to have fought for the podium, but in Jerez I am sure that we will have a better weekend.”

23rd Eric Granado:
“The first part of the race was difficult for me, mainly because I started badly. When I saw the red flag I felt fortunate, because it gave me a second chance. I started the second race with good pace and got up to sixteenth position. On the last lap, a rider went off track and then I clipped him as he came back on. That ran me onto the dirty part of the asphalt. I knew that my tyre rubber was dirty on the way onto the home straight, so I tried to brake as little as possible. Nonetheless, I still lost the front. It is a shame, because I think that I could have taken points today. After this performance I have to think positive and believe that the next race in Jerez will see us finish higher up. Despite the crash, I am satisfied that we improved our times.”

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Jonas Folger to Start Inaugural GP of the Americas from Second Row

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The first ever Moto3 qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas took place today with the new pole record for the minor category set at 2'16.396 – some six second faster than the best lap in yesterday morning's first free practice. Alex Rins was the man to set the benchmark today but with such drastic improvements in lap times as the weekend has progressed anything could still happen in tomorrow's race.

After fighting hard all weekend to find a setting for this technically demanding track MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger managed to put his bike fifth on the grid. The German rider has spent most of free practice trying to get more confidence with the front end of his bike through the fast corners and he still has some ideas to try in tomorrow's warm-up. On the other side of the garage Eric Granado set the fastest top speed of the session (230.1 km/h) as he qualified in 20th position.

5th Jonas Folger 2.18.570 (13 laps): 

“We have spent all weekend trying to improve the front-end feel of the bike and maybe in order to achieve it we need to alter the rear. We tried various different suspension settings today and altered the geometry but I still didn't feel completely comfortable going into the fast corners. We'll play around with the rear suspension in the warm-up tomorrow and see if we can get a better feeling. Fifth place on the grid is not a bad position but the difference in lap time to pole is worrying and we need to improve somehow.”

20th Eric Granado 2.19.664. (14 laps): 

“We found a good set-up this morning that allows me to hold my line better and the bike was ready for qualifying. At the start of the session I was up in the top fifteen and then came in to change tyres but I didn't have the same confidence in the front when I went back out and I ran wide a couple of times. I pushed hard on the last lap to make up a couple of positions and managed to qualifying in 20th so now we'll have a look at what happened and try to put it right in the warm-up. If we can recover the feeling I had in the first part of the session we can have a good race.

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Jonas Folger Confident of Challenging for Victory at Austin

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Hermann Tilke has again made his mark on the MotoGP calendar, designing the Circuit of the Americas that will this weekend host its first MotoGP World Championship event. Like all of the German designer’s creations, the Austin track features a lavish layout with a long straight. In fact, the straight is now the longest in the series, relegating that at Mugello to second. Only a small number of MotoGP riders have ridden at the track, and for the Moto3 competitors it will be completely new.  In Qatar, preseason suspicions were confirmed when four of the riders tipped for success -Folger, Rins, Salom and Viñales- all impressed over the weekend. This time, they will have to adapt quickly to a new challenge.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger finished fifth in Qatar, after spending the entire weekend amongst the top positions. Regardless of the final outcome of the race, the competitive nature of the German rider over the four days is what has inspired the team the most. Folger is rapidly becoming one of the riders to beat in Moto3, right at the start of the campaign. He is known for his chameleonic attitude and his ability to adapt to any circumstances. This virtue could prove to be very useful this weekend, when all riders will be on unfamiliar ground.

Teammate Eric Granado, must also adapt swiftly to the American track. The young MAPFRE Aspar Team rider had a discreet start in Losail but is ready to keep on working and learning in the Moto3 class.

Jonas Folger: 

"I think this race will be very interesting, at a totally new circuit which looks very good. It’s an unknown for everyone, so it will be interesting to see how each rider will adapt. I've seen some pictures and several videos, but I can’t say that I have a lot of information about the Circuit of the Americas. It seems very tricky, besides having a very long straight. We will try our best to adapt to it as quickly as possible. In Qatar we did a great job, but during the race the engine did not perform as well as it should have. So this weekend we will continue working to improve this, in order not to suffer on the long straight. I am convinced that I will enjoy the track -I think it will be very fun."

Eric Granado: 

"The Circuit of the Americas is new to everyone and we have to get used to it as quickly as possible. It is a very long track and, from what I've seen, features fast corners alternating with very tight ones. For some time I have been using the F1 simulator in order to study the layout, but now I can’t wait to try it in person. It looks as cool a circuit as it does a demanding one. I am convinced that I will be fine though. With it being new to everyone this time, we will not start at a disadvantage like in Qatar -a circuit with which I was unfamiliar. Since returning from Doha I've been training in the gym and riding supermoto and motocross. I head to Texas eager to continue to work hard.”

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Jonas Folger Places Fifth and Sets New Losail Lap Record

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At 7pm local time in Losail, the first Moto3 race of the year kicked off the season. With better conditions than before, but still some sand on the asphalt, the lower cylinder category riders went off into the night for an entertaining race.  The first four on starting grid moved ahead straight away, led by Alex Rins. The pack broke free of the rest after three laps and the intensity increased, with the pace established in the 2’07s –much higher than in practice and qualifying. Alex Marquez was the surprise name in the fight, adding a fifth name to what had been expected to be just four candidates for the win. However, in the end the win went to Luis Salom, heading a Spanish podium that also included Maverick Viñales and Alex Rins.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger opened his account with eleven points at the first race of the year, having fought amongst the leaders for the entire race. The German competed against the same rivals who had challenged him in qualifying, and was ready for more of the same on Sunday night. Folger passed many of his rivals on the brakes in a show of poise and calm, although he would lose ground on the straights of the Losail circuit. He placed fifth at the chequered flag, after setting a new circuit record on lap 6 with a 2’06.839.

Teammate Eric Granado had the disappointment of his bike stalling before the warmup lap, and he could only watch as the rest of the field began ahead of him. Once his problem had been resolved, the MAPFRE Aspar rider took off from last on the grid. However, he managed to finish the race –his first in Moto3- and picked up experience and a 26th place.

5th Jonas Folger: 

"The weekend has been fabulous. Things went well in all of the practice sessions and I was always in the top positions. All these factors gave us great confidence for the race. I had an optimal setup, was confident and I started well. At first I kept myself quiet behind the lead group, seeing what was going on. As the laps passed, I realised that on the finish straight I could hardly keep a slipstream and lost a lot of ground. I honestly do not know the reason for that:  We were cornering like everybody else and I was catching people on the brakes, but on the main straight I was losing out. In the end we finished in fifth place. I expected better, but I’m calm because we gave our all throughout the weekend. Also today we ran with the lead pack until the end. We will analyse what might have happened, in order to improve at the next round.”

26th Eric Granado:

"My first race in Moto3 was a little hard, but this is only the beginning and I have learned a lot this weekend. I gained experience and the team helped me discover the points upon which I need to improve. The bike stalled on the grid and I had to start from last, which was a pity. At the start I passed some riders, yet I still think a little more aggression is needed to advance up the order without so much hesitation. Now we have to think about the next race in Austin -a new circuit for everyone- where I hope to gain further experience.”

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Jonas Folger to Start from Fourth Position at First Race of 2013

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At 6pm in Qatar the first Moto3 qualifying session commenced in Qatar with the riders waiting until the last ten minutes of the session to really up the pace and contest the top spots. It was unclear whether the riders would really be able to push hard due to the wind and dust at Losail, making work even harder than Friday’s tricky conditions. Four riders have shown the pace to go for victory on Sunday, Salom, Viñales, Rins and Folger being a notch above the rest. Only those four have broken the 2’08 barrier and they are the most likely pódium candidates.

MAPFRE Aspar’s, Jonas Folger, stuck to his plans and headed the timesheet with a couple of early fast laps. He then got on with additional work trying some softer tyres but the feeling was not great so he lost time there. The German then got back on the pace towards the end of the session and showed his strength in this class, contesting the top spot with Salom and Viñales up to the last lap. He eventually ended fourth having shown good race pace. Folger is one of the favourites for the win in Sunday’s race having been on the pace all weekend. Meanwhile, his MAPFRE Aspar Team colleague Eric Granado starts from 25th in his first Moto3 race. The Brazilian was hindered by front end issues but is highly motivated for his competitive debut.

4th Jonas Folger 2.07.894 (13 laps): 

“Qualifying started well with a few good, fast laps but when we went onto a softer tyre the back end was too grippy and it was hard to maintain a line. So we went back onto the same tyres we’ve been using all weekend and the feeling got better. Talking to the team it seems we have a rear end issue to fix in warm-up, so apart from this small problem I’m happy because we have a generally good setting for tomorrow. I wanted to be on the front row, but we all have a similar pace at the front and as long as nothing unexpected happens we’ll be up there tomorrow.”

25th Eric Granado 2.10.798 (16 laps): 

“The trac kwas as tricky or if not trickier than yesterday and it was hard to get started. Eventually I found a group to follow and I watched how they were riding the track. Half way through I tried some intermediate tyres for the race and spent some time on consecutive laps to improve my feeling. On fast corners the front end is a bit unstable so I thought I was going to run off but I stuck to it to get the laps done. We’ll make some changes in warm-up and in the race I’ll start quite far back. If we can improve in warm-up though I can move up a few places.”

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Jonas Folger Stakes Pole Claim Ahead of Qualifying

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With just one session on a filthy track there was no chance for the Moto3 riders to improve their pace on the second day of free practice at Losail tonight, where the rarity of desert rainfall also contributed to less than ideal conditions. Luis Salom again set the quickest time in a session dominated largely by MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger and the fight for pole tomorrow looks certain to be a straight fight between those two plus Alex Rins.

Folger's tactic was to push hard in every session and there were few riders able to live with his pace until he came in for new tyres at the end and was caught out by the surprise shower. His team-mate Eric Granado was also unlucky tonight, the Brazilian rookie struggling to cope with the dramatic changes in track conditions and also suffering a crash in the second corner.

3rd Jonas Folger 2.08.656 (10 laps): 

“Even though the track conditions weren't great it was fun to ride out there tonight. There was a lot of sand on the track so we had to modify our set-up to cope with it. After dominating most of the session we came in to change tyres near the end and it started to rain so we couldn't improve our time and lost a couple of positions but I'm not worried about that. The important thing is that we have been competitive in every session so far and we have good race pace.”

23rd Eric Granado 2.11.218 (10 laps): 

“The track conditions were quite different today compared to yesterday. The wind was strong and there was a lot of sand on the track surface. I struggled to get into my rhythm at the start of the session and wasn't able to get behind another rider to get some guidance, and then I braked harder than I should have in turn two and crashed. The team fixed the bike quickly and gave me time to get back out on track and do three more laps and improve my lap time. If it wasn't for the crash I would have been quicker but we'll try to make up time tomorrow and be ready for the race.”

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