Folger to stand in for injured MotoGP rider Espargaro

PARIS - German former MotoGP rider Jonas Folger will replace injured Pol Espargaro from next month's Grand Prix of the Americas, the GasGas-Tech3 team announced on Friday.

Espargaro is recovering from injuries after a violent crash in practice at last weekend's season-opener in Portugal and has since undergone surgery to a fractured jaw.

His return date is uncertain.

Spanish MotoGP rider Pol Espargaro of GasGas Factory Racing Tech3 is assisted by a medical team after a fall during the second practice session for the the Motorcycling Grand Prix of Portugal at Algarve International race track, in Portimao, south of Portugal, March 24.. Espargaro will be replaced by Germany's Jonas Folger for the Grand Prix of the Americas next month, the GasGas team announced today. - Pic: EPA

Folger last rode in motorcycling's fast lane in 2017 when he took the runners-up spot behind Marc Marquez in his home race for the team.

"It's clear Pol needs time to make a full recovery and our thoughts are still with him and we are in contact all the time," Tech3 manager Nicolas Goyon said.

"Until he is ready though Jonas' testing role together with his recent MotoGP experience meant he is the perfect fill-in."

Folger performed pre-season test duties for the team in Sepang and said he was "looking forward to racing again and arriving to Texas to see all the guys from my old team".

Espargaro is one of a number of the MotoGP grid missing from Sunday's second leg of the season in Argentina.

Also ruled out are Ducati's Enea Bastianini, six-time premier class champion Marquez, and Portugal's Miguel Oliveira.

All are nursing injuries from a bruising first round in the Algarve won by Ducati's world champion Francesco Bagnaia. - AFP