Collin Veijer takes superb second place at the San Marino Grand Prix

The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 rider fights for victory at Misano and claims his second podium of the season.

Collin Veijer produced an outstanding performance at the Red Bull Grand Prix of San Marino and the Rimini Riviera on Sunday, taking second place after fighting at the front throughout the Moto2 race. The 21-year-old Dutchman led the opening laps and remained in contention for victory until the closing stages, securing his second podium of the season and his third since moving up to Moto2.

After two days of mixed weather conditions at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, the Moto2 field finally enjoyed ideal conditions for Sunday’s race. The track was completely dry, with an ambient temperature of 27°C and a track temperature of 38°C.

Starting from sixth on the grid, Veijer made an excellent launch and immediately gained a position on the run into Turn 1. An incident involving several riders ahead of him then promoted the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider into the lead.

Unfazed by the hectic opening lap, Veijer quickly settled into his rhythm and began to impose his pace at the front. The Dutchman led the opening four laps and managed to open up a small advantage over the chasing group.

After relinquishing the lead, Veijer immediately latched onto the new race leader and remained firmly in contention for victory. His strong and consistent pace allowed him to stay close throughout the middle and closing stages of the race, confirming the speed he had already demonstrated during qualifying on Saturday.

With several crashes from recent races in mind, Veijer remained composed and avoided taking unnecessary risks in the final laps. He eventually crossed the finish line in second place, just 2.451 seconds behind the winner.

The result represents Veijer’s second podium finish of the 2026 season and his third since stepping up to the Moto2 World Championship. Following several challenging races, the Misano result provides an important confidence boost for both Veijer and the Red Bull KTM Ajo team.

With the points collected in San Marino, Veijer moves back into tenth place in the Moto2 World Championship standings with 75.5 points.

Collin Veijer: “It was a really good race. We had shown strong pace throughout the weekend, as we demonstrated in qualifying on Saturday, and I’m very happy with how we approached the race. Of course, we had a little bit of luck at the start and in the first corner, but after that I just focused on my own lines and my own pace. When Manu [Manuel Gonzalez] passed me, I tried to stay with him and I think we managed that quite well. I felt that we also had the pace to follow him in the final laps, but after the crashes in the previous races I didn’t want to take too many risks. The most important thing was to finally be back on the podium. It’s a huge relief and a great result for the whole team after a few difficult weeks.”

Red Bull KTM Ajo and Veijer will now head to Austria for the next round of the Moto2 World Championship. The Austrian Grand Prix takes place at the Red Bull Ring from September 18th–20th, making it a particularly important weekend as KTM’s home Grand Prix.