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

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

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

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

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

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.”

Collin Veijer takes triumphant Jerez victory

The Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto was Sunday a real Moto3 thriller right up to the finish line, in which LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 youngster Collin Veijer clinched his triumphant second Grand Prix victory with a 0.045s lead.

Collin Veijer fired up Sunday the turbo gear of his Husqvarna machine after starting the race from third position and, despite losing positions at the beginning, found himself in second place on the second lap when the weekend’s pole setter, David Alonso, crashed while leading. After a targeted surprise attack on David Muñoz, the Moto3 race was a Collin Veijer show from then on. The 19-year-old set a decent pace together with his six pursuers. It was only towards the end of the 19-lap race that David Muñoz and Ivan Ortola appeared to be able to pose a threat to him, but the strong Dutchman rejected every attempt to attack and crossed the finish line, cheered on by thousands and thousands of fans, as a two-time Grand Prix winner and now third in the World Championship.

Collin Veijer – P1, Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P3 – 46 Points: “It’s a great feeling, I’m really happy. Overall, the race was quite consistent, and our pace was good. It’s a bit of a shame that Alonso crashed because I think we could have had a very nice battle right to the end. But a race is always different. As for my tyres, I was a bit on the limit. Nevertheless, the feeling was good, and I was able to keep the pace. I was expecting a possible attack on the last lap, but I already won here in the JuniorGP, so I tried to do the same way as then and it worked well. There were still wet patches, but I found my way through as I knew where they were. One critical spot was the last corner, especially in the middle of the bend. A big thank you to the whole team for the work they do every time.”

From the 10th – 12th of May, the fifth World Championship round of the year at the Le Mans Circuit will continue at the French Grand Prix and so will the battle for points, podiums and victories.

Collin Veijer strong third in Jerez qualifying

With third place on the grid, LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer laid a promising foundation for the Spanish Grand Prix, which will be held on Sunday at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto.

The race weekend in Jerez began on Friday in dry conditions and sunshine, but also experienced rain on Saturday morning, which caused a real shuffle in the time sheets and made the conditions for qualifying tricky. This made the times set in the two dry sessions on Friday all the more important. Collin Veijer got off to a good start at the Jerez Grand Prix, as he finished a good seventh in free practice, which he then improved to third place thanks to his 1’44.762 in P1. This time helped the young Dutchman to start in Q2, which he finished in a similarly strong third place behind Colombian pole-setter David Alonso. Thanks to his promising race pace, the 19-year-old is aiming for his first podium of the season in the 19-lap race, having been denied it in the USA a fortnight ago due to a crash in the race.

Collin Veijer, P3 – 1’46.013 (+1.059): “Qualifying was a bit tricky; it wasn’t so easy to set the lap times. But overall, I felt pretty good. I was able to set my times on my own, which was a confidence booster. But when it came to finding the lines on a lap, I almost crashed in turn two on my first lap when I hit a damp patch. Luckily, I stayed on the bike and found my rhythm. Eventually, I was able to do a 46.0, but then it became more and more difficult because of the used tyres. I was pretty much on the limit to set reasonable lap times. I think the race pace is a bit closer to that of the others and tyre management will play a role. Then we’ll see if we can challenge Alonso a bit.”

Highsider prevents podium for Collin Veijer in Austin

The Moto3 race in Texas resembled a crash festival right from the start, which LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer narrowly escaped several times until a highsider spectacularly brought him to the ground while lying in second position on lap eleven.

The signs for a successful race Sunday were extremely good for Collin Veijer, especially as he was promoted to third place on the front row after Jose Antonio Rueda’s withdrawal due to illness. But even the starting sequences were already hair-raising. Despite a collision in the first hairpin, the Dutchman remained seated and immediately tried to make up the lost metres and positions. Over the course of the next few laps, the 19-year-old Dutchman fought his way back up to second place, from where he took up the chase from eventual race winner David Alonso, who at one point had a lead of over 4.5s on the strong chasing group. The gap to the front gradually shrank, but with just four laps to go, a highsider catapulted the previously incredibly strong Veijer out of the saddle of his Husqvarna in turn four, which not only cost him his first podium of the season but also numerous World Championship points that would have seen him travelling to Jerez de la Frontera in third place, where the fourth Grand Prix of the year is scheduled in a fortnight’ time.

Collin Veijer, DNF: “A strong race until the crash happened. A few riders touched me on the first few laps. As soon as the field lined up, I tried as best I could to get in front of my group and stay there. I gave it my all on every lap and I saw that I was catching up with [David] Alonso pretty quickly. I did everything the same every lap until I tried to go a bit faster at the entrance of the fast ‘S’ corners and as soon as I turned the bike to the right side, I had a moment and high-sided myself. I am very sorry to the team. We are still sixth in the championship, which is not a big disaster, but I feel much stronger than that. Let’s see what we can do in Jerez.”

Veijer grabs row 2 in Austin qualifying

The third round of the Motorcycle World Championship season drew the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 Team and Collin Veijer to Austin, Texas, where the Dutchman delivered a strong performance in Qualifying 2 at the Circuit of the Americas, finishing on the second row of the grid.

Collin Veijer really stepped up his game in the cloudy qualifying session, as the young Dutchman had already shown his strong side in free practice on Friday. Thanks to his 2’15.056 in P2, the 18-year-old was able to progress directly to Qualifying 2 on Saturday afternoon. In the 15-minute session, the rider with the number 95 completed targeted laps and gradually worked his way forward, taking the lead just a few seconds before the end of the session. However, there were still at least three faster rivals on the track, which ultimately pushed Veijer down to fourth place. This does not dampen his anticipation for the 14-lap race on Sunday, as he will start the US Grand Prix from fourth on the grid as the leader of the second row, directly behind pole man David Alonso, for which he is hoping for a successful finish with numerous points in addition to thrilling slipstream duels.

Collin Veijer P4 – 2’14.574 (+0.282): “Today’s qualifying wasn’t bad after feeling really good this morning, even though we didn’t get a good lap in our second exit in practice one. But I was confident that we could do decent laps in qualifying. We went out in the afternoon, and I gave my best all the time. I was able to set good lap times until the last lap and at one point I was able to set a strong time that was good enough to get into the top five. In any case, I also felt quite comfortable on used tyres when I set my fastest lap time on them. So, I think we are in good shape for the race and can fight for the top tomorrow.”

Collin Veijer scores P6 in Portugal

It was a nerve-wracking Portuguese Grand Prix for LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer, but he managed to score 10 points with P6.

The start to the second race of the season went well for 19-year-old Collin Veijer, even though he lost two positions in the first few metres. However, it didn’t take long for the Dutchman to gradually fight his way back and even close the gap to the leading group. A few laps before the end, Veijer found himself in the middle of a heated six-way battle for victory. In the end, however, a small gap opened up at the front. Meanwhile, last year’s Moto3 rookie was in a close battle for the top four but was unable to hold his position across the line. The youngster ended this instructive weekend with ten points in 4th place in the World Championship.

Collin Veijer, P6 – (+2.263), Moto3 World Championship 2024 – P4 – 21 Points: “I think we had a good race. I felt quite strong and we closed some gaps. In the first sector, I felt fast but in sectors three and four we struggled a bit. It’s a track that I find quite tricky…but I think we made some good decisions with the team. I think we can take this information into the next race in America and let’s see if we can do better there.”

From 12th – 14th of April, the Americas Grand Prix in Austin, Texas will set the stage for the next Moto3 spectacle. The Circuit of the Americas, aka COTA, will be no less challenging than the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve due to its unique characteristics.

Collin Veijer snatches second row for the Portuguese Grand Prix

With grid position six on row two, LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP rider Collin Veijer has a good chance of scoring points in the second Grand Prix of the year.

The breathtaking Autodromo Internacional do Algarve near the coastal town of Portimao is known for its up- and downhill sections surrounded by picturesque landscapes. But the weather can also be a little capricious from time to time, and overnight rain on Thursday night not only meant wet tarmac in the morning but also a lot of sand that was washed onto the track from the air. As a result, the Moto3 free practice session had to be cancelled without replacement due to precautionary measures.

This had little effect on Dutch rider Collin Veijer, as the 19-year-old adopted his usual strategy. During the first qualifying sessions, Veijer was still in the midfield due to precise set-up work on his Husqvarna, with his 1’48.147 being enough to move straight into Qualifying 2. On Saturday afternoon, in Q2, the youngster was well in the mix and ultimately achieved a strong starting position for the 19-lap race on Sunday with sixth place on row two. The rider with start number 95 was just 0.495s off pole man Jose Antonio Rueda.

Collin Veijer, P6 (Q2) – 1’46.874 (+0.495): “This morning, we started with a different tyre, which I struggled with a bit. Maybe it was because of the temperatures. But in our second exit, we were able to improve slightly, so we were in the top 14, even if the lap wasn’t perfect. In qualifying I felt quite good, apart from a few problems with the setup, which I’m sure we can solve for tomorrow. P6 for today, I think that was the maximum and we’ll see what we can achieve in the race.”

The goal for the Portuguese Grand Prix is to finish in the points, so it is now a matter of making the final preparations together with the crew of the German racing team and then focusing fully on the start of the race on Sunday at 12:00 (CET).