After being sent home from the Japanese Grand Prix due to the fact that he was unable to get out of bed, Monster Yamaha tech 3 rider Jonas Folger has finally been given a diagnosis of what has been making him feel so poorly for a long while now.
The young rider was finally told that he is suffering from a strain of Gilbert Syndrome, a common genetic disorder affecting 2%-5% of the population, where the liver is unable to process toxins effectively. This has been an underlying condition that has plagued Jonas for several years, but had never been diagnosed properly.
Currently he is going through a detox and cleansing of his body to help flush the liver and disperse the toxins. After that he will need to follow a special diet to stop the same thing happening again.
Also, it seems that ever since he crashed in Aragon, a nerve was damaged in his right vocal chords and recovery can take up to 2 years.
“It's a huge relief that we now have a clear understanding of the situation and how to move forward,” he said. “ The past six weeks have been very difficult for me, not knowing what's happening or why my body shut down completely. I've been living with elements of this since 2011 but I've always been able to overcome it and we never really knew what it was.”
“It's unfortunate that it took such a serious episode to finally diagnose the situation but I'm just thankful we now have some answers. I miss my team and all my friends in the paddock. I've received a lot of support from everyone on social media, not just fans but my competitors also and this means a lot to me.”
“ I'd like to thank everyone at Monster Tech 3 Yamaha and all my sponsors for their belief in me and messages of support. I will be back and stronger than ever, fighting at the top of MotoGP.”
