Joined Sep 2016
38 Posts | 20+
A winding country road.
Herve says no one has been able to reach Folger. Not even the Aprilia WSBK guys who wanted to give him a shot when Laverty was hurt.
Seems like he really wants to be left alone and isn’t keen on racing again.what a shame.
Seems like he really wants to be left alone and isn’t keen on racing again.what a shame.
Joined Apr 2015
6K Posts | 5K+
NJ
That's a pity. He was really talented and I thought he had a great future ahead of him in MotoGP till he got sick. But for no one to be able to get in touch with him is a bit concerning.
Sad to read that and I do hope that if true, Folger is receiving all the support necessary to ensure that he recovers both physically and mentally as to lose the dream can be very damaging to the mental health.
I am very sad to hear this bit of news about Folger. I’ve been a fan of him since Moto2 and was very happy when he raced MM hard at Sachsenring. But this sport is hard on the body and the mind and sometimes we take these riders for granted. Sometimes it takes a Folger or a Juanfran Guevara for us to take a step back and realize what mental and physical fortitude it takes to compete at this level.
I hope we see him race again, but the chances aren’t too good.
I hope we see him race again, but the chances aren’t too good.
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
That's unfortunate, a reminder that every individual is a universe. Only he knows what demons he is dealing with internally. No way he reached the pinnacle of the sport by his own right, only to throw it away over something blithe or thoughtless whim. There is more to his story, we're just not privy to it.
If you live in a glass house don't throw rocks.
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Joined May 2009
6K Posts | 4K+
Shovel's Club
Whatever is going on with him whatever the reason is isn't as important as supporting him in the next chapter of life. You got to respect a man who knew he needed to get away from something that wasn't good for him. Just like drugs racing can be addictive and very detrimental to a persons mental state. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Folgers choice. He will find happiness in life, because he knows how to steer clear of things that are not.
Joined Oct 2006
25K Posts | 4K+
Your Mom's House
Well said.
I was revisiting the Catalan GP from last year, Folger was with the lead group for most of the races, matching their pace, only Dovi, Marc, and Pedro ahead. In the last laps you could see his tires were wasted and conceded the position to Zarco and Lorenzo, but not without a fight. To echo much of the sentiments expressed by JP, Gaz, Synn, Herve, and others, it is concerning that he hasn't been able to be reached. Hopefully as you say he will be in contact with family and friends that support him.
For some dudes the only way to get away from something is with a total break away. My brother is like it, to get through something he sets a lazer course with zero deviation, even if it involves shutting friends and family out.
Joined Jun 2014
47 Posts | 41+
United States
Well I guess I'm shocked, I was convinced Pedrosa was going to retire.
In his press conference he pretty much just kept saying over and over again that he doesn't have any news and that he hopes to have news over the next couple of days - won't reveal if it could be retirement or whether his options are in MotoGP or not.
Honestly, the fact he isn't saying anything at all makes me believe he is signing for a team that doesn't exist yet and doesn't want him to announce it - A.K.A. this Petronas Yamaha team is my guess.
He also said something like 2 years ago he said that he was expecting to quit HRC by the end of this year - not sure if that is true or not. To me, from what he said he almost wanted to leave. Not surprising given the .... results as of late
In his press conference he pretty much just kept saying over and over again that he doesn't have any news and that he hopes to have news over the next couple of days - won't reveal if it could be retirement or whether his options are in MotoGP or not.
Honestly, the fact he isn't saying anything at all makes me believe he is signing for a team that doesn't exist yet and doesn't want him to announce it - A.K.A. this Petronas Yamaha team is my guess.
He also said something like 2 years ago he said that he was expecting to quit HRC by the end of this year - not sure if that is true or not. To me, from what he said he almost wanted to leave. Not surprising given the .... results as of late
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Joined Oct 2015
329 Posts | 196+
UK
Certainly one way of looking at it.
Another possibility is he is in talks with a team, not neccessarily in motogp paddock, that currently has 2 riders and 1 hasn't been told they are getting the heave ho yet for 2019.
He said he has several options.
So either a Yamaha that might go to VDS or a brand new Petronas team or one of the third tier Ducatis.
I hope it’s the Yamaha. I don’t see him manhandling a Ducati at all.
So either a Yamaha that might go to VDS or a brand new Petronas team or one of the third tier Ducatis.
I hope it’s the Yamaha. I don’t see him manhandling a Ducati at all.
J.Lo said yesterday that he approached Honda. Not the other way around.
So much for the “Honda’s master plan for keeping him away from a Yamaha” theory!
So much for the “Honda’s master plan for keeping him away from a Yamaha” theory!
It takes it down a peg, but still doesn’t exclude keeping him away from being on a Yamaha as a motive from Honda. They may not have considered he was an option before he approached them, and certainly seem to have rapidly jumped at the chance of signing him ahead of the other names which were circulating and ahead of Dani himself, which debunks your anti- Jorge narrative and the anti-Jorge narrative of your fellow Rossi fans of a certain ilk at least as much as it does the anti-Jarvis/Yamaha management narrative propounded by me and others I would have thought.
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Yep.
Honda let KTM sign Zarco, whom they approached last year.
They let Suzuki sign Mir, on whom they had a first dibs contract on.
They let Pramac keep Miller, who probably asked them to .... themselves with a rake, sideways.
They let Ducati pass on J.Lo, who, by his own words didn’t feel he was on the outs until LeMans.
...all part of the master plan to sign J.Lo to Repsol Honda and keeping him away from a supposed Yamaha satellite team that may or may not happen.
I haven’t seen a better game of chess since Kasparov and Karpov last squared off!
To be fair though Synn, all of the young guys you mention want to win races and a championship.
They come with desire, ambition and a 'win at all costs' attitude as they are all driven to achieve ............ plus they all want top billing.
Lorenzo now is undergoing a Rossiesque moment of humility following an ego driven attempt to assert one's dominance on a machine that is so maligned as to be regarded as a career ender ............
So now, he goes to HRC (as opposed to Rossi's Yamaha return) as a rider many are questioning to whether they still have 'it' and as a somewhat unofficial #2.
Now I genuinely do not know who approached who as there are stories doing the rounds with a few variations but, if JL's manager did NOT approach Honda as has been more recently reported, than he would not be doing his job. For him, luckily (if that is the word) the deck chairs fell into place and JL scored a ride.
Of serious interest for me in all of this, is that if we are to give credence to some of the stories (and some have been denied, but then that does not mean that it did not happen), then HRC or more to the point Puig was desperate to rid themselves of Pedrosa. Of course, once could only surmise why but one may also wonder about animosity and payback ........
They come with desire, ambition and a 'win at all costs' attitude as they are all driven to achieve ............ plus they all want top billing.
Lorenzo now is undergoing a Rossiesque moment of humility following an ego driven attempt to assert one's dominance on a machine that is so maligned as to be regarded as a career ender ............
So now, he goes to HRC (as opposed to Rossi's Yamaha return) as a rider many are questioning to whether they still have 'it' and as a somewhat unofficial #2.
Now I genuinely do not know who approached who as there are stories doing the rounds with a few variations but, if JL's manager did NOT approach Honda as has been more recently reported, than he would not be doing his job. For him, luckily (if that is the word) the deck chairs fell into place and JL scored a ride.
Of serious interest for me in all of this, is that if we are to give credence to some of the stories (and some have been denied, but then that does not mean that it did not happen), then HRC or more to the point Puig was desperate to rid themselves of Pedrosa. Of course, once could only surmise why but one may also wonder about animosity and payback ........
J.Lo confirmed in yesterday’s interview that he approached Honda first, not the other way around.
Now you mention it, if animosity because of his previous relationship with Dani was a factor I have thought all along it was unprofessional on Puig's part. Not unreasonable for HRC to move on in general after 12 completed seasons in pretty much all of which his competitiveness has been affected by injury. As I first said years ago, it is not Dani's fault but he just doesn't bounce when he falls off.
And they seem to have jumped at the chance as I said.
I also agree with J4rn0, who is of the opinion that Jorge's ego wouldn't allow him to take a satellite ride such as the putative Petronas Yamaha ride. The fact that it wasn't a dead set certain ride as covered by David Emmett in a piece on his site, which I presume you read as I did, likely came into his decision as well. Jorge's and HRC's motives can be multifaceted, just as it is possible for both of us to be biased, even if those biases are different.
