Three Superbike riders and one Supersport rider took part in a test session yesterday for Team Bonovo Action by MGM Racing at Oschersleben. Marc Moser, Maximilian Weihe, Jonas Folger, and Milan Merckelbagh tested their new Yamahas for the first time this year and gathered for the occasion at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.
An intriguing question. How did IDM Superbike 1000 newcomer Jonas Folger—who, as a former MotoGP rider, is under the most scrutiny—fare? The Bavarian had to tackle three things at once: getting to know the team, testing the bike, and studying the track, which was new to him. But in the end, the 26-year-old said: “The track here in Oschersleben is very demanding to ride; it actually feels more like a 600cc track. But it was really good for our setup work. We were able to develop a basic setup for our bike. In the end, we did a lot of laps, and the weather was good too—we were lucky. I’m very satisfied; it was a successful test.”
For Folger, joining Team Bonovo Action by MGM Racing marks a fresh start following the end of his career as a MotoGP rider and test rider. He’s approaching the challenge with renewed vigor, fully recovered. He wants nothing more to do with the health issues that had held him back in MotoGP. They’re a thing of the past. His goal: to win the IDM Superbike championship. Whether that will happen in 2020 remains to be seen, although the IDM organizers at Motor Presse Stuttgart are continuing to work behind the scenes on a shortened season. Folger has also been promised wildcard appearances in the Superbike World Championship by his team, but the World Championship has also been put on hold for the time being due to the coronavirus crisis.
Over the past few weeks, Folger has mostly been at home. “I’ve been taking care of things I never usually have time for, like working in the garden and around the house. I’ve been working out a lot, mostly riding my road bike. The weather has been pretty good, too, so I’ve been making the most of it. It certainly hasn’t been boring.”