The two Freudenberg Junior Team riders, Jan-Ole Jähnig and Maximilian Kappler, will continue to compete for the Saxon team on KTMs in the Supersport 300 World Championshipnext year—and, as usual, provided there are no scheduling conflicts, they will also race in the IDM . A lot of behind-the-scenes discussions are currently underway.
It seems possible that the Freudenbergs will receive approval from Dorna for two teams: a junior team and a Supersport World Team. Luca Grünwald could race for that team. The Bavarian rider secured the Freudenberg Team’s first-ever World Championship victory on the KTM. In the overall standings, Grünwald finished fourth, just two points behind third-place finisher Scott Deroue. However, no decision has been made yet on whether he will continue with the team.
The Freudenberg team is in high demand in the 300cc World Championship. Several foreign riders have already reached out about a spot on the team for 2019. Michael Freudenberg is open to discussions, but he also says, “As a German team, we give priority to up-and-coming German riders.”
Toni Erhard, the new IDM champion in the 300cc class, announced at the end of the season that he intends to defend his IDM title in 2019 before moving on to the World Championship. He came up through Kiefer Racing’s youth development program.