Collin Veijer complete solid Saturday in Thailand

Collin Veijer takes at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram 24th on the grid, seven tenths of a second off Pole Position, and this in his first Qualification in the intermediate class.

The first qualifying sessions of the season took place on Saturday for Collin Veijer in Moto2. The Dutch rider improved on his times from Friday. He started FP2 in a good way, combining a long run with a Time Attack on the last laps. The Dutchman clocked a 1:35.669 on his final flying lap, shaving 6 tenths off his quickest Friday time.

In Q1, Veijer continued to make progress and once again lowered his best time of the weekend, stopping the clock at 1:35.405. This put him just seven tenths off the Pole Position time and was the shortest gap so far for him to the fastest lap. He put in 25 laps over the course of Saturday, on route to 24th on the grid for his first race in Moto2.

Collin Veijer (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 1’35.405, +0.771, P24: “Today we improved a bit more. This morning it wasn’t too hot, so we took the opportunity to try some new setups on used tyres -which all worked very well. In the afternoon we improved again compared to the morning, but we focused on getting as much riding as possible once again. Overall, I’m happy with the day and the progress we’re making, so we’re now concentrating on tomorrow’s race. The goal will be to learn, enjoy it and finish, to gather as much data as possible.”

The 22-lap Moto2 Thai Grand Prix race will start at 1:15pm local time.

Collin Veijer completes positive final Moto2 preseason test

Collin Veijer was one of the riders with the most laps completed at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on Thursday, in the final day of Moto2 preseason. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was 21st at the end of three days of hard work that concluded with his best times of the week.

Collin Veijer was one of the riders with the most laps completed at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on Thursday, in the final day of Moto2 preseason. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was 21st at the end of three days of hard work that concluded with his best times of the week.Collin Veijer continued to reduce the gap to the frontrunners, dropping more than 5 tenths off his previous best time to clock a 1:40.741. The Dutchman did so in FP9, in which he was sixth. Overall, Veijer was 21st on the combined timesheets for Thursday, with a total of 80 laps to his name. He was one of the busiest riders of the entire test.

Collin Veijer: ““Today we made again a good step forward. During the morning we improved a little bit from yesterday, and then we did it again in every session. We only worked with a full tank, so maybe with a little bit less fuel we can improve a little more. Also, with used tyres I enjoyed myself a lot and the pace was good. Moto2 is a completely different class, so I need time to adapt, but at the moment I’m really happy with the way we’re working -and also with my crew chief. The gap to the top riders is a little bit smaller, so let’s see if this good work can continue in Thailand. We didn’t try a Time Attack, so maybe we could have been a little higher on the timesheets, but it wasn’t about that.”

Veijer and his Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 Team will head to Thailand next week, where they will contest the first Grand Prix of the season from February 28th to March 2nd at the Chang International Circuit.

Collin Veijer kick off 2025 season with productive first Moto2 test in Jerez

The Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto hosted two days of private testing this week, to begin preparations for the 2025 season. Collin Veijer worked with his crew to continue progressing ahead of his first year in Moto2 and completed his first laps with the Moto2 bike and his new team.

Collin Veijer moves in 2025 up to the intermediate class of the MotoGP World Championship with Red Bull KTM Ajo. The Dutch rider participated in the two days of testing with the aim of getting to know the team and starting to gain a feel for the bike. Veijer was one of the riders who completed the most laps, with a total of 183 laps. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider showed great progress and ends the year eager to get 2025 underway.

 Collin Veijer: “I think we had a productive two days. We improved a lot on many things. Yesterday morning was a bit difficult, because it is a new bike, so we need to get used to it, but during the day we made a lot of progress, so I’m very happy with the team and with the people I’m working with. We did a great job and we started to create a good base for next year.”

Collin Veijer tenth in farewell race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Collin Veijer’s hopes of the runner-up title remained unfulfilled at the grand season finale in Barcelona. The Dutchman finished tenth in the race despite starting from second on the grid.

Even if it was not the successful finale that Collin Veijer had hoped for after an outstanding season for his last Moto3 race, the Dutchman, who has written a success story with the German LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Team over two years, can look back on a total of two race wins, eleven podiums and three pole positions. Unfortunately, the 19-year-old’s goal of snatching the runner-up title at the finale did not work out. Although Veijer was consistently in the leading group, his pace did not allow him to actively intervene in the race after he did not get off to the best possible start.

Veijer now closes an exciting first chapter of his world championship career in third place of the world championship.

Collin Veijer, P10 – (+2.713), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 242 Points: “My start was quite good, and I felt quite confident, although I had to be a bit careful on the left-hand side on the first few laps. But very early on, I had the feeling that we were losing a bit of speed on the straights because of the limiter. We were a bit too short geared. It wasn’t going to turn out the way we had planned, as our choice didn’t work out perfectly. Anyway, I enjoyed my last race in Moto3 because I had some nice battles. So, I’m happy with the race, even if I don’t completely agree, because with a slightly better gearbox it could have gone much better. But I’m happy with how it went because we finished it and now it’s on to next year. I’m also happy to finish the championship in third place overall because we did better than last year and that was our goal. Now my father has to stop smoking, which he bet on. Finally, a big thank you to LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP for two unforgettable years with them. I have learned a lot for my future – thanks to everyone for everything!”

Collin Veijer starts the 2024 season finale from row 1

LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer once again grabbed second place on the grid for the big Moto3 season finale at the Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona.

The Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona is a special event. Not only does it host the grand finale of the 2024 season it is also being held in solidarity with the victims of the Valencia flood disaster. In order to make this special weekend something big on a personal level, Collin Veijer has put himself in the perfect position for his last dance in the Moto3 World Championship for a brilliant finale, in which the Dutchman will still be in contention for the runner-up world title.

But before the 19-year-old set off on his final 18 Moto3 laps from second on the grid, he had to work hard on the 4.66-kilometre Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to find the ideal pace in the short time available. As so often this season, he managed to do this in perfect style, which gives him hope for the start of the race at 11:00 (CET).

Collin Veijer, P2 – 1’46.252 (+0.347): “I am very confident because we have been working on race pace all weekend. We have done a very good job. But qualifying is all about setting the fastest lap time. I tried to do it under my own steam, which was a bit difficult. In the first three laps, I tried to get the maximum out of it, but it was clear that I would need a reference or a slipstream. On the last lap, I had a reference in front of me, although the rider was too far away for a slipstream. But it was a good reference point and I’m glad to have had it. I’m happy to be back in the front row. So, I’m very confident and looking forward to tomorrow’s last race of the season. Let’s see if we can work out our plan for the race, but I think we can be very confident about what we can do. I expect a big group for the first ten laps, but then it will be interesting to see how it goes and what happens then, whether we see a breakaway in the final stages and whether we can keep up with it.”

Collin Veijer takes P5 in Malaysian heat battle

Collin Veijer finished fifth in Sepang on Sunday in the penultimate Moto3 race of the season. As a result, the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider did good business in the battle for second place in the championship.

The Sepang International Circuit demanded everything from man and machine in high temperatures and even higher humidity. This was also the case for Collin Veijer, who pushed his Husqvarna to the limit during the 15 laps of the race in order to keep in touch with the potential podium places. Up until a few laps before the end, it looked as if the 19-year-old, who started the race from eighth on the grid, still had something up his sleeve to make up ground, but a few duels took their toll.

Nevertheless, the Dutchman managed to secure fifth place in the battle for the runner-up title. In the riders’ championship, Veijer is level with Daniel Holgado, who crashed in Sepang, which postpones the decision on the runner-up title until the grand final.

Collin Veijer, P5 – (+1.091), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 236 Points: “The feeling was really good. Before the race we were told that we would have another race, so we decided not to risk too much, but just to stay on the bike. When I saw that my rival for P2 in the overall standings crashed, I told myself to stay calm and not risk anything crazy. That’s what I did for the whole race, collecting everything but always trying to stay in the group. At some point, I followed Ortola and wanted to overtake him at a certain point, because it wasn’t possible on the straights. But I had a lot of trouble at the corner entries at the hard braking points because we were using the harder front tyre. Overall, we did a good job in terms of the championship by finishing the race in P5. This means that we are equal on points with the second-placed rider. But P4 in the overall standings has moved a bit closer, separated by just two points. So, we have to focus on the last race and do our job well there, because we really want to take the runner-up title.”

Eight starting position for Collin Veijer in Sepang

In a heated qualifying session for the final race of the overseas tour, last year’s Malaysia Moto3 racewinner Collin Veijer took eighth place on the grid.

Collin Veijer, who celebrated a brilliant victory in Malaysia in 2023, improved his lap time again on Saturday morning after his fifth place on Friday and started the afternoon’s Q2-qualifying well equipped in fifth place. I

In his final time attack on the 5.54-kilometre track, however, he was left to his own and was also disrupted by yellow flags, which ultimately meant eighth place on the grid in row three. Nevertheless, the 19-year-old Dutchman will start the 15-lap race tomorrow at 12:00 Malaysian time (05:00 Dutch time) feeling confident.

Collin Veijer, P8 (Q2) – 2’10.518 (+0.976): “Overall, it was a good day. This morning, we improved our lap time, and I felt quite consistent. We are also very strong with both tyre options. In qualifying, I went out on my own and tried to push for the fast lap time with another rider, but he left the pit lane a bit too late. So, I was on my own. In the end, we ended up in P8, which is not a disaster. But let’s wait and see what we can do tomorrow. As I said, the feeling is good with both tyres, so I’m curious to see what our choice for the race will be.”

Collin Veijer third in thrilling Thailand sprint

The Thailand Moto3 race, which was shortened to 12 laps, was hard to beat in terms of excitement for Collin Veijer. The Dutchman fought his way from within the top 5 to third place.

The Moto3 race at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand was shortened to a 12-lap sprint after the tarmac of the 4.55km track did not dry in time after the morning rain due to the high humidity. The race was eventually started as a wet race, with the entire field opting for slick tyres, which required extreme caution in some sections.

Collin Veijer once again mastered this challenge well, as the Dutchman’s good start allowed him to take the lead on the second lap, but his rivals were not to be beaten so easily and within the next few laps, Veijer had dropped back to fifth place.

The 19-year-old Dutchman also started his final lap from P5 and positioned himself perfectly to launch a decisive attack out of the final corner with plenty of momentum. Taiyo Furusato did not expect this counter-attack, which saw Veijer stalk past on the inside to take third place and unfortunately led to a contact between the two, causing the rider with the number 72 to crash. With 16 more championship points, Veijer reduced the gap to Daniel Holgado to eleven points in the world championship.

Collin Veijer, P3 – (+0.522), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 225 Points: “Towards the end of the race, I had big problems because I struggled with traction at the exit of the first-gear corners. So, in the last few laps, I stayed behind and waited to see what would happen. Some of the riders in front of me went into the last corner a bit too hot, while I followed my line. But suddenly I felt a contact and it was Taiyo, I don’t know where he came from. I’m sorry for him that he crashed, but I don’t think it was my fault, more a racing incident. In none of my races in the World Championship have I done strange things, because that’s not my intention. In my opinion, I am always a fair rider. Before that, I felt really good in the race and quite comfortable at the front until the gearbox problems I mentioned came up. I was still able to keep up the pace and finish on the podium. I’m very happy to be up here again.”

Collin Veijer grabs 1st row for the 4th consecutive time

In the Qualifying at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer took a strong second place on the grid for the penultimate overseas race of the season!

It seems as if Collin Veijer is making second place on the grid his regular starting position after the Dutchman has already started directly behind pole position in the past three races. The 19-year-old crossed the finish line just 0.073s behind pole setter Joel Kelso. The improvement that last year’s rookie made on the way to this strong qualifying session once again sets the current third in the world championship apart, because after Friday Veijer spoke of “still a lot of work” after seventh position in free practice and fifth in P2, but he did it together with his well-working crew, because his gap from P9 in Practice 2 was only 0.333s, which already gave a foretaste of the tight Q2, for which he qualified directly and finished a strong second.

Collin Veijer, P2 (Q2) – 1’40.676 (+0.073): “I feel great. The wind was a bit stronger in qualifying than this morning. Therefore, it was a bit difficult to set the lap time on my own and also a rider tried to follow me, which is always a good sign to be fast. Nevertheless, I was already happy with our first run and in the second I tried to push with the new tyre. In the end, I couldn’t gain as much time as possible on my first lap and on the second I saw some riders waiting for me. But they were already coming into the last corner and couldn’t stop. So, it was nice to have some people in front of me. I’m very happy with qualifying and also with starting from the front row again. I did my job almost every time on my own all weekend. So I feel very confident about tomorrow. We tried a few different things, also with the front tyre. That makes me a bit curious about the choice for the race.”

For the hot 19-lap race at 06:00 (CET), Veijer is hoping to score maximum points in order to reclaim the provisional runner-up position in the riders championship.

Collin Veijer eighteenth after crash in heated Down Under battle

It was an eventful race for Collin Veijer at the legendary Phillip Island Circuit. A crash on lap 12 deprived the Dutchman of any chance of scoring points despite rejoining the race.

In surprisingly good weather, the Moto3 riders rolled onto the grid of the 4.45 km long traditional race track on the south coast of Australia. As soon as the starting lights went out, an unrivalled battle for position ensued. In the first few metres of the 21-lap race, Collin Veijer lost a few positions from his second place on the grid and allowed himself time to find his rhythm after the initial carnage.

At one point, the Dutchman was even in eleventh position, from where he fought his way back up to P6 before Angel Piqueras made a mistake on lap 12 with fatal consequences for Veijer and his world championship rival Ivan Ortola. Veijer’s line was cut off at the apex of the corner, causing Piqueras to touch his front tyre, which then caused the 19-year-old to swerve and hit the side of Ortola, who also crashed in the collision. Veijer had the presence of mind to rejoin the race quickly in 21st position but was unable to catch up with the points, so last year’s Moto3 rookie finished in eighteenth place, which puts him 23 points behind Daniel Holgado in third place in the battle for the runner-up title ahead of the Grand Prix of Thailand in just one week’s time.

Collin Veijer, P18 – (+39.310), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 209 Points: “Today’s race day was a bit strange today and the race was generally very long. We knew that tyre management would be crucial. My start was not good, so I tried to get back to the front, but it was very difficult because of the slipstream. But on one lap, as we turned into turn four, someone cut me off. I hit this rider and crashed, unfortunately taking Ortola with me when my bike hit his. I would like to apologize for that. Even though the race was over for us, we can be happy with the speed we had this weekend. But this is Moto3, it’s not the fairest class, to say the least. We will now go to Thailand and continue with our work there.”

Collin Veijer again strong second in qualifying and back in front row in Australia

Collin Veijer was not going to have an easy time on the legendary 4.45 kilometer Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Australia, but the Dutchman managed to defy the changeable conditions with grid position 2 on row 1.

The changeable and sometimes unpredictable weather on Phillip Island once again lived up to its reputation, as strong winds and persistent rain made the start of the seventeenth race weekend of the season difficult on Friday.

But even the sometimes-challenging conditions did not stop Moto3 rider Collin Veijer from getting off to a flying start. Together with his crew, the young Dutchman prepared his Husqvarna for further rain sessions and finished both free practice and P1 in the top 10. On Saturday morning, the 19-year-old laid a strong foundation for Qualifying 2, which followed in the early afternoon, with third place in P2. In Q2, however, dry conditions prevailed for the first time this weekend, but Veijer was also able to adapt immediately and, despite a small slip-up, ultimately took second place on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday at 02:00 (CEST), just 0.124s behind pole setter Ivan Ortola.

Collin Veijer, P2 – 1’35.996 (+0.124): “Things went quite well today because I already felt good and strong this morning. In qualifying, however, we had a dry session for the first time this weekend. So, we didn’t know what to expect in terms of grip level out on track. But it wasn’t too bad, and I was able to push quite well. A small fall in Q2 couldn’t stop us from getting on the front row. I’m very happy to be up there at the front again.”

Collin Veijer takes P2 in Motegi chase

On this history-making race Sunday in Motegi, LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer grabbed a strong second place behind newly crowned 2024 Moto3 world champion David Alonso.

The Japan Grand Prix held a very special tension, as no less than three riders tried to use the 17-lap race at the Mobility Resort Motegi to prevent David Alonso’s title win and even if none succeeded, Collin Veijer not only showed an extremely impressive performance in this sixteenth race of the season, which he started in second place on the grid and finished in the same position, but also throughout the entire season so far. A season in which the runner-up title is still up for grabs. To do so, he will have to beat the same opponents as in this Japanese thriller: Daniel Holgado and Ivan Ortola. His second place added another twenty points to his account, which lifted him up to third place in the world championship, where only three points separate him from the current second-placed Holgado.

Collin Veijer, P2 – (+0.524), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 209 Points: “My start was good, but I came into contact with another rider and lost a few positions. After that, I tried to find my rhythm and stay calm so as not to put too much strain on the tyres. As the race went on, I felt better and better and tried to get back to the front, which I managed to do in the last few laps. But one rider decided to make a pretty stupid overtaking manoeuvre, which almost pushed me out of the race and cost me a second, otherwise, we could have challenged David for the win. However, a P2 is okay. We have to make the best of each of the remaining races so that we can fight for second place in the championship. But first of all, congratulations to David on his title win today!”