A three-time race winner in the Moto2 ranks between 2015 and 2016, Folger made his MotoGP debut with Tech 3 Yamaha in 2017 and claimed second on his home turf in Germany, but his rookie campaign was cut short after he was diagnosed with Gilbert’s syndrome.

 

After spending some time on the sidelines, he was tasked with spearheading Yamaha’s European test team in 2019, gaining experience of managing the testing programme of a factory.

 

When the Japanese manufacturer elected not to renew his contract at the end of the 2019 season, Folger moved outside of grand prix racing, winning Germany's IDM championship the following year on a Yamaha R1.

 

This helped him land a full-time seat in the World Superbike Championship with Bonovo BMW in 2021, but Folger struggled to acclimatise himself to the M1000RR after a career spent almost entirely on Yamaha machinery, and he could muster a best finish of eighth before his team elected to sit out the final rounds of the season.

 

His deal with KTM means he will be back in the MotoGP paddock for the first time in six years.