Veijer rewards himself with 2nd row in Indonesia, Sasaki P11
In sweaty conditions, the Dutchman of the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 Team, Collin Veijer, catapulted himself onto the second row of the grid as the underdog coming out of Q1. Ayumu Sasaki, for his part, will start the heated battle of the 15th race of the season from P11.
This is only the second time that the MotoGP World Championship has been held on the tranquil island of Lombok in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Bright sunshine and tropical heat are part and parcel of this Grand Prix, but what the riders achieve on their machines these days on the 4.3 km long Mandalika Street Circuit deserves the fullest respect.
Ayumu Sasaki, who is currently fighting for the world championship title in the lightweight class, struggled to keep up the pace in qualifying. The Japanese rider had always been inside the top six in the previous practice sessions, then ended up just outside the top 10 in Q2, which he entered directly without any further hurdles thanks to sixth place overall, with just 0.465s behind. With ease and confidence, the 23-year-old will start chasing the leading group from grid position eleven on Sunday, relying on both his experience and strong race pace.
For the younger class rookie, Collin Veijer, everything went according to plan on this blistering hot afternoon in Mandalika. The young Dutchman worked hard in the three practice sessions and was 17th overall after finishing P3. This meant that the 18-year-old had to fight to get into Q2 in Q1, which he finally managed thanks to a 1'39.746. A few minutes later, in Q2, Veijer conjured up a lap that earned him fourth place on the grid in the 15th Grand Prix of the season.
The Moto3 race starts on Sunday at 06:00 (CEST) and will comprise 20 gruelling laps.
Results
P1
1. Diogo MOREIRA/ BRA/ KTM – 1'40.590
2. Daniel HOLGADO/ SPA/ KTM – 1'41.011 (+0.421)
3. José Antonio RUEDA/ SPA/ KTM – 1'41.220 (+0.630)
6. Ayumu SASAKI/ JAP/ HUSQVARNA – 1'41.425 (+0.835)
19. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – 1'42.094 (+1.504)
P2
1. Deniz ÖNCÜ/ TUR/ KTM – 1'39.855
2. Diogo MOREIRA/ BRA/ KTM – 1'39.987 (+0.132)
3. Jaume MASIA/ SPA/ HONDA – 1'40.087 (+0.232)
5. Ayumu SASAKI/ JAP/ HUSQVARNA – 1'40.209 (+0.354)
15. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – 1'40.811 (+0.956)
P3
1. Jaume MASIA/ SPA/ HONDA – 1'38.781
2. Daniel HOLGADO/ SPA/ KTM – 1'38.902 (+0.121)
3. Matteo BERTELLE/ ITA/ HONDA – 1'38.974 (+0.193)
6. Ayumu SASAKI/ JAP/ HUSQVARNA – 1'39.427 (+0.646)
17. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – 1'39.877 (+1.096)
Q1
1. Taiyo FURUSATO/ JAP/ HONDA – 1'39.606
2. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – 1'39.746 (+0.140)
3. Adrian FERNANDEZ/ SPA/ HONDA – 1'39.944 (+0.338)
Q2
1. Diogo MOREIRA/ BRA/ KTM – 1'39.085
2. Jaume MASIA/ SPA/ HONDA – 1'39.125 (+0.040)
3. David ALONSO/ SPA/ GASGAS – 1'39.310 (+0.225)
4. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – 1'39.363 (+0.278)
11. Ayumu SASAKI/ JAP/ HUSQVARNA – 1'39.550 (+0.465)
