Collin Veijer third in Silverstone thriller

Collin Veijer third in Silverstone thriller

The British Grand Prix provided plenty of excitement in the Moto3 race. LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer fought all the way to the finish line to triumph in the United Kingdom, where he finally climbed the podium in third place for the fifth time this season.

On Sunday, in slightly cooler temperatures, the Moto3 Grand Prix was held on the fast 5.901 km Silverstone Circuit and provided countless thrilling overtaking manoeuvres in the 15 laps of the race, especially in the eleven-strong leading group, which battled it out to the finish line and in which the Dutchman also in the thick of the action.

Starting the race from second on the grid, Collin Veijer lost up to five positions in the first lap and proved his world-class ability by keeping calm and finding his rhythm before attacking with great vigour towards the middle of the race. When the pace at the front increased with just under four laps to go, the 19-year-old shooting star also stepped up the pace and took over the reigns of the field for some time. However, birthday boy Ivan Ortola and world championship leader David Alonso did not give in easily either, so both of them pushed past the Dutchman, who entered the final lap in the lead, in a hard manoeuvre with physical contact, meaning that Veijer was unable to fight back in the final metres and he pass the finish line in third.

Collin Veijer, P3 – (+0.226), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P4 – 131 Points: “Silverstone is always a very long race and the track is also very long. It’s important to conserve resources, therefore, I followed the group for a while. Sometimes I let a small gap open up, but I always had everything under control. I just wanted to enjoy the race. I felt quite good from the start, but I was lacking a bit to pull away. With six laps to go, I thought that now was the time to go to the front. I chose this moment because my pace was good, and I felt very comfortable. Finally, I saw that Ivan was able to open up a gap, which I was then able to close. I was happy with that. But in the last few laps the battles got tougher again. I went into the last lap leading, and I was aware that someone would try on the long straight. Despite the small contact with David, we made it onto the podium, which I’m very happy about. A big thanks to the team and everyone involved in this project.”

Collin Veijer back on row one (P2) at Silverstone

Collin Veijer back on row one (P2) at Silverstone

At the British Grand Prix, Collin Veijer from the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team got going as if there had never been a three-week summer break. After setting a new lap record, the Dutchman finally snatched second place on the grid.

Moto3 title contender Collin Veijer’s weekends are almost always the same. In free practice, he works intensively on the set-up of his Husqvarna and pays less attention to lap times. This is in stark contrast to the two practice sessions on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, where the Dutchman not only set the fastest practice lap on the British track with his 2’09.565 in P1 but also broke the existing lap record. Although the 19-year-old temporarily lost ground in P2, he still went into Qualifying 2 as one of the favourites, where he again fought for pole position with targeted attacks all on his own. In the end, the youngster was just 0.041s off pole man Ivan Ortola, who caught the perfect momentum in the slipstream to not only break Veijer’s lap record but also to take the lead in Q2.

Collin Veijer, P2 – 2’09.311 (+0.041): “It was a good day, there’s nothing to complain about. I already felt comfortable this morning in Practice 2, even though the session was a bit crazy because everyone was waiting to catch a slipstream. But we did our job and prepared everything for qualifying. In qualifying, however, we waited before we went out on track for the first time. I then tried to push straight away to get lap times. In the end, I’m very happy with the position we have and also with the pace we can set. Why we waited so long in the garage can simply be explained by the fact that everyone is looking for a slipstream. There is likely to be a group in the race, especially in the first few laps. So, I will try to be very consistent and then we will see how we can handle the tires. But the feeling is good and I’m even more confident because I know that we did our lap times on our own. So, I’m excited to see what we can do with slipstreaming.”

Veijer is full of vigour and optimism as he head into battle on the fast, 5.901 km Silverstone Circuit, hoping to add many more world championship points to his tally.

Collin Veijer falls victim to turn 11 at the Sachsenring

Collin Veijer falls victim to turn 11 at the Sachsenring

A mistake by pole man Collin Veijer destroyed the hoped-for home victory for the German LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team. The 19-year-old Dutchman crash out of the race while in the lead.

Sometimes joy and sorrow lay so close together. In front of an almost sold-out Sachsenring, hopeful Collin Veijer took the start of the Moto3 race from pole position and bravely pushed through the first corner passages to lead the first lap of the 3.67 km long traditional racetrack. The 19-year-old’s race began to frenetic cheers and unfortunately ended differently than he had hoped. On his second lap, the Dutchman turned into the treacherous turn 11, also known as the Ralf Waldmann turn, and lost the front of his fast Husqvarna while in the lead. Horror in the faces of the fans and his team. The home podium, which he thought was safe, was buried in the gravel of a corner that forgives absolutely no mistakes, as it is the first right-hand bend after an endlessly long left-hand passage. This makes the tyres extremely sensitive to the change of direction due to the drop in temperature on the right tyre side. Veijer bravely lifted up his visibly battered machine and fought. He fought to the bitter end – for his honour, the fans and his team, who had worked so tirelessly for success this weekend. The crash did nothing to dampen the youngster’s pace and he even managed to get dangerously close to the points again. In eighteenth place, Veijer was celebrated like a winner by the German fans, which somewhat alleviated the disappointment of the mishap.

Collin Veijer, P18 – (+39.387) 2024 Moto3 World Championship – P4 – 115 Points: “I felt good, but it was unfortunate to crash. I turned into the corner, and I’ve no idea why I lost the front. I think it was just the colder side of the tyre. I could finish the race with half a bike, so we tried to get everything out of it. As long as the team is happy then so am I but I still want to say sorry to them. This was not the smartest race but let’s see what we can do after the summer break.”

Veijer and his LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team leaves into the summer break with great gratitude for the incomparable support of the fans, from which they want to return even stronger for the Silverstone Grand Prix from the 2nd – 4th of August.

Collin Veijer storms at the Sachsenring to pole with a new lap record

Collin Veijer storms at the Sachsenring to pole with a new lap record

For the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team, the German Grand Prix is already a highlight of the season. After a successful Friday, a new lap record and pole position for Collin Veijer heralds a Sunday blockbuster of superlatives.

Just a week after narrowly missing out on a home win, Collin Veijer gave his German racing team a brilliant pole position at their home Grand Prix after setting a new Moto3 lap record on his final qualifying lap to become part of the long Sachsenring history. Veijer took the lead with a 0.336 second advantage over David Alonso and Luca Lunettea, who completed the front row of the grid. The enthusiastic fans around the 3.67 km track celebrated the 19-year-old for his outstanding performance. Powered by the support of the German fans, the Dutch shooting star will be aiming for his second win of the season on Sunday in the 23-lap race, which is expected to take place in a little cooler conditions.

Collin Veijer, P1 – 1’24.885 (New Moto3 Lap Record): “It’s a great feeling to be on pole again. But even yesterday I felt pretty confident all the time and did my laps on my own. So, I’m quite happy with how things have gone here so far, even though qualifying didn’t start so well with my first run. It wasn’t good at all, because I lost time in some places. But then, with the new tyre, I tried to push to the limit and was able to set a 1:24.8. But first my lap time was cancelled because of the track limits, and I was a bit disappointed about that. Then I saw that the time was still 30 seconds off and I tried to do another lap, which ended up being perfect. I was also lucky that David Munoz didn’t cross my line because I was a bit scared that he would hold me up. So, I’m very happy with this pole position here in Germany.”

Collin Veijer finishes a photo finish thriller for home win in a close second place

Collin Veijer finishes a photo finish thriller for home win in a close second place

Unbelievable scenes in the Moto3 race at the Dutch TT: Local hero Collin Veijer from the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team rode an outstanding 20-lap race, leading for almost half of the race, only to lose his home victory on the line to Ivan Ortola by 0.012s in a thrilling photo finish.

The 30th of June 2024 will be remembered. Not only by Collin Veijer but also by his thousands of fans, who proudly wore the orange CV95 shirts and came close to seeing their hero triumph at the Dutchman’s home Grand Prix. But before the 19-year-old shooting star produced one of the closest photo finishes in the history of the sport, he lost two positions at the start, but then gradually pushed his Husqvarna forwards and closed the gap to P1. He finally took the lead on lap eleven and even managed to open up a gap of almost 1s. It all looked like an Oranje summer fairytale, but on the last lap, Spaniard Ivan Ortola ignited the turbo on his KTM and wiped out what was thought was a safe lead within just a few corners. The race-deciding attack then came before the Geert-Timmer-chicane. Veijer rode on the edge to gain momentum onto the start-finish straight, but the short distance to the line was not enough to put Ortola in his place. An unbelievable 0.012 decided between a brilliant home win for the young Dutchman or a defeat, which, measured against his outstanding performance this weekend, is no defeat at all. In the end, the current world championship runner-up took home twenty valuable points and the fans around the 5.45 km TT Circuit of Assen celebrated their Collin Veijer for what he is: a winner, the hope of a motorbike-loving nation and the title contender for the 2024 Moto3 World Championship.

Collin Veijer, P2 – (+0.012), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P2 – 115 Points: “Second place at home is also a great feeling, I’m really enjoying it. The first disappointment quickly faded after I crossed the line, because we showed our true potential here again. Nevertheless, it was also a nice feeling to pull out a gap to the cheers of the crowd. I think we can be very proud of what we showed this weekend and also with the pressure that was on us. Assen was very special for me this time, I think all the people from my home town came to Assen. It was so nice to see them all, including my aunt, my nephew and many more. A big thank you to them for their support. This also goes to all the sponsors and the entire team. But the most important thing is that we have reduced the gap in the overall standings, but we still have many races to go. Let’s see what we can achieve at the Sachsenring, the team’s home race. But for now, we want to enjoy the moment and the feelings!”

Now it’s time not to bury his head in the sand, brush the dust off his shoulders and deliver another thrilling Moto3 show in front of the German fans in a few days’ time, from the 5th – 7th of July, with unchanged enthusiasm.

Top favourite Collin Veijer on row 1 at home Grand Prix

Top favourite Collin Veijer on row 1 at home Grand Prix

LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer surpasses himself at his home Grand Prix. Best times non-stop and the front row of the grid in a thrilling Moto3 qualifying session pave the way for a successful race Sunday, despite a Q2 highsider.

The Dutch TT is undoubtedly one of the absolute fan favourites and so the TT Circuit was packed in the best racing weather when the Moto3 qualifying session was opened by Dutch national hero Collin Veijer.

The local hero’s first act was to immediately set a very competitive time. This 1’40.055 was to save him the front row of the grid at the end of the Q2 session, as the youngster gave everyone a real scare while lying on the provisional pole. The Dutchman was brutally catapulted off his Husqvarna in a highsider at the entrance to the final chicane of the 4.54-kilometre TT Circuit.

His crew worked hard but were unable to get the bike and their protégé back on course in time. Anxious minutes followed, his eyes fixed on the time monitors, as the rider with number 95 was no longer able to actively intervene in qualifying. Despite everything, Veijer is regarded as the absolute top favourite for Sunday’s race, having already been fastest in both practice sessions and also holding the lap record.

His thousands and thousands of fans around the track want to see the young Oranje fighter triumph in the 20-lap race. The 19-year-old may not feel the effects of the heavy impact just yet, so we can only hope that the shooting star will be fit enough for the expected Moto3 battle on Sunday at 11:00 (CEST).

Collin Veijer, P3 – 1’40.055 (+0.309): “I feel good after the crash even though it was a big one. But I tried everything, and this is qualifying, where you have to go to the limit. I improved a little and felt I could go faster out of the last corner. But the bike started to wheelie a bit and I struggled to get it back and highsided myself. Overall, we can’t complain because I did my laps all by ourselves, without anyone in front or behind. So, I’m very happy with the performance we’re showing at the moment. I think Alonso and I have a good pace, but it’s always difficult to predict how the race will turn out with a large or a small group. Nevertheless, I will do my best to stretch the field a bit, because I feel good and so does our pace.”

Collin Veijer snatches P2 in Mugello slipstream battle

Collin Veijer snatches P2 in Mugello slipstream battle

Top start, red flag, restart and another battle for the lead ended in a strong second place for LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer after thrilling slipstream duels, adding another 20 championship points to his account. 

The Italian Grand Prix is a guarantee for thrilling slipstream duels, but the Moto3 race in Mugello was hard to beat in terms of excitement, as the battle for victory between David Alonso and Collin Veijer continued right up to the line after the restart. This came about after an early incident on lap 4 involving Xabi Zurutuza and Filippo Farioli, which forced the race to be red-flagged. Tatsuki Suzuki also crashed in this phase by highsider but was able to return to the pits on his own in time to resume the restart.

The starting grid for the restart was based on the positions from lap 3 before the cancellation and so Collin Veijer went into the second race start in third place, from which he again got away very well. He emerged from the first corner in third place, immediately took up the chase and moved into the lead from the slipstream of the 1,141-metre-long straight at the start of the second lap.

Over the course of the sprint race, which was shortened to 11 laps, a tight group of six riders formed and led the battle for victory all the way to the line. Right in the middle of it all: the Dutchman, who already had a few leading kilometres behind him, suddenly found himself in sixth position shortly before the end of the race and had to watch as David Alonso opened up a gap of over 0.5s at the front. The 19-year-old did not hesitate for long and, with two laps remaining at the end of the start/finish, moved back out of the slipstream into second position and took up the chase with the fastest race lap. In the end, he was just 0.142s short of the victory in Italy.

Collin Veijer, P2 – (+0.142) Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 95 Points: “I’m happy because the feeling was good throughout the race, even when I was in the lead. At one point, I was behind the group and I was able to keep up easily. It was clear to me that I had to get back to the front, otherwise the leader would have been gone. In the end, I did it a bit too late. I managed to catch David [Alonso] on the last lap, but next time we’ll have to bother him a bit more! A good race and we’ll try again at my home Grand Prix.”

The youngster now heads home to the Netherlands in third place in the championship, where his home Grand Prix at the Dutch TT in Assen is on the agenda in four weeks’ time and where the victory-hungry local hero will be looking to strike back.

Starting row 2 for Collin Veijer in Mugello

Starting row 2 for Collin Veijer in Mugello

It was a close call for Collin Veijer in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix after the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider crashed in the final metres of Q2 causing him to lose his place on the front row of the grid. From position four on row two, he will now try to fight for victory in Mugello.

In Moto3, not only the races are full of action and excitement, but also the qualifying sessions. Especially when Collin Veijer, who set the tone early in the Q2 session, crashes in the final metres in his attempt to do even better and reclaim the pole. The Dutchman, fortunately, remained unhurt after his front slid and immediately got back on his dusty Husqvarna, but the time running out did not allow any further attacks, so the 19-year-old had to settle for a solid fourth place on the grid. However, the youngster’s strong pace was not only demonstrated by his P4 in qualifying, as Veijer worked his way up from P9 in P1 on Friday to second place in the first practice session and third place in P2 on Saturday morning, which means that he will start Sunday’s 17-lap race with a lot of confidence and will try to fight for nothing less than victory.

Collin Veijer, P4 – 1’54.906 (+0.712): “I don’t think we can complain because the lap times I set were pretty consistent and also very fast. I set the same time every time, which is positive and feels good. On the last lap, however, I pushed to the limit and tried to improve a little here and there. But in the end, I crashed in turn 10. It was my own fault because I was a bit off the line. It was a small crash, I’m fine. I’m looking forward to the race because I feel good as it is, and our pace is strong too. So, let’s go.”

Collin Veijer just behind Barcelona podium in fourth

Collin Veijer just behind Barcelona podium in fourth

Excitement right up to the last lap of the Catalunya Grand Prix 2024, in which LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer finally finished fourth after a fierce podium battle.

The 18 race laps on the 4.66 km long Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona promised plenty of action and thrilling slipstream duels even before the start of the race and lived up to expectations in every respect. One of the weekend’s top favourites was certainly Dutchman Collin Veijer, who contested the sixth Grand Prix of the year from second on the grid and persevered over the outside line in the wild start phase, eventually emerging from the first corner in third place. From then on, the fans around the popular race track were treated to a never-ending battle for the podium, which continued into the final corners and saw Veijer reel off several leading kilometres. It was only a few corners before the finish that the 19-year-old was unable to fend off the final attack from Jose Antonio Rueda and had to bury his hopes of a podium and third place after David Alonso and Ivan Ortola were able to pull away slightly at the front in the final metres. With 13 points from fourth place, Veijer is still in 3rd place in the world championship and hopes to strike back next week in Mugello.

Collin Veijer, P4 – (+0.560), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 75 Points: “P4 was the maximum today. My start was okay, and I felt good from the beginning. In the first corner, I was able to make a good pass for my feeling and tried to get past some other riders on the outside. From then on, I pushed really hard and did my best throughout the race, although I struggled a lot in the uphill sections of the track. So, I think we have to be happy with P4 today and hopefully, we can do better in Mugello.”

Now it’s time to pack up quickly for Veijer and the German racing team, and shipping everything to Italy within a few days, where the seventh round of the season in Mugello will offer the next opportunity for points, podiums and further development from the 30th of May to 2nd of June.

Collin Veijer back on row 1 in Barcelona

Collin Veijer back on row 1 in Barcelona

LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team rider Collin Veijer delivered Saturday a strong and ground-breaking qualifying session at the Catalunya Grand Prix, which earned him second place on the grid.

In bright sunshine and summer temperatures, Collin Veijer not only mastered his dominant qualifying with flying colours, but the Dutchman was also always among the top five in the preceding practice sessions. The 19-year-old had no idea how close it would be in qualifying when he began the 15-minute session as one of the top contenders for the pole position. His final attempt to attack was ruined due to yellow flags and he was ultimately just 0.019s off pole, which went to Ivan Ortola this Saturday. The youngster is very confident for the 18-lap race, having already demonstrated his strong solo pace in the practice sessions. Can Veijer take the next step towards becoming one of the title contenders in the world championship battle with another top result?

Collin Veijer, P2 (Q2)- 1’46.768 (+0.019): “I think we can be satisfied with today, even though I was unable to finish my lap shortly before the end of qualifying due to a yellow flag. That was when I was on a new tyre again. Nevertheless, even before qualifying, I was very confident that I could do well today, because in the morning I did my times alone, which were very consistent and fast. In the afternoon, I did my best right from the start and my first flying lap was good enough for a 1:47.0, but then I tried to get faster and faster until I managed a 1:46.7. I was very happy with that. We’ve done a good job so far this weekend, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow.”

Collin Veijer conquers Le Mans podium

Collin Veijer conquers Le Mans podium

In front of thousands and thousands of racing enthusiasts, Collin Veijer fought a fierce battle at the French Grand Prix. The Dutchman, who, after leading for some time, snatched a strong third place and thus his second Moto3 podium in a row.

With some hair-raising manoeuvres, Dutch shooting star Collin Veijer once again proved to be a tough nut to crack in the Moto3 field. Right from the start, the 19-year-old made his way to the front, where his clean attacks were met with some tricky manoeuvres from Daniel Holgado and David Alonso. The attempt to increase the pace while in the lead and pull away was fended off by his close pursuers and so Veijer pushed hard to maintain the pace. Veijer eventually finished a strong third, just 0.242s behind race winner David Alonso, taking home another podium and 16 valuable championship points to consolidate his 3rd place in the world championship.

Collin Veijer P3 (+0.242), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 62 Points: “My start wasn’t perfect, but better than in Jerez as we practiced it during the test. I tried to stay calm and be consistent in the early stages of the race. Then I tried to keep the pace of the guys in front and still not do anything crazy. The last lap was a bit difficult for me because I struggled a bit on the right side and I had problems on corner entry; maybe we need to manage the tyres better on the last laps and straighten the bike earlier. Overall, the feeling was good and I’m happy to be back on the podium.”

Veijer and the only remaining German racing team in the world championship will be competing in the sixth round of the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from the 24th – 26th of May.

Le Mans qualifying gives Collin Veijer grid row 2

Le Mans qualifying gives Collin Veijer grid row 2

Each year, the French Grand Prix offers thrilling racing and the practice and qualifying sessions of the fifth round of the season were in no way inferior. LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer finally secured fifth place on the second row of the grid in the battle for pole position.

If you look at Collin Veijer’s work during a race weekend, you can see how the Dutchman gradually improves with each session in order to be able to fully attack in qualifying. This was also the case on the 4.19-kilometre Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, where the 19-year-old was second fastest ahead of the 15-minute Q2 qualifying session. The Intact GP rider was also in the lead at times but ultimately had to settle for P5, 0.679s off the pole pace after yellow flags cancelled out his final time attack. But even from the second row of the grid, all options are open to the latest GP winner to duel for the top positions again in the French Grand Prix.

Collin Veijer, P5 – 1’40.793 (+0.679): “My last lap in Q2 was okay, I felt really good. Also, our first exit was okay, especially because I was riding alone. As far as our speed is concerned, we can be satisfied and confident. But on the last lap we tried to get the maximum out from a new tyre and the last tenth. When I started the time attack, I gave everything until the last corner when the yellow flag was waved. I’m still a bit angry about that, because all my effort was for nothing. Seeing the yellow flag on the last corner is the worst thing that can happen to you when you’ve been pushing to the absolute limit up to that point. But it is what it is, and overall, I’m happy because we had a good qualifying session and secured a good starting position for the race.”