Assen GP: Local hero Veijer highly awaited in the cathedral of speed
After a three-week early summer break, the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Team has two big events on the agenda, with the two consecutive race weekends at the Dutch TT from 28rh to 30rh of June and the home race at the Sachsenring just one week later, for which one rider has particularly high expectations.
Starting with the legendary Dutch Grand Prix on the outskirts of the tranquil little town of Assen, a young Dutchman will try to make his home fans proud. Local hero Collin Veijer has picked up speed recently with various podium finishes and even a win (Jerez) and is now hoping to turn his seventh place from last year into another top result as the current third-placed rider in the world championship, in order to further reduce the gap to leader David Alonso.
Driven by the same eagerness, 26-year-old team-mate Tatsuki Suzuki is starting the eighth of a total of twenty race weekends in the same manner. The Japanese rider is set to enter the short but hot mid-summer phase of the season with plenty of momentum. On his Husqvarna, the rider with the number 24 is striving for his next success so that he can go into the official summer break strengthened after the home Grand Prix of his German racing team at the Sachsenring.
The fresh-faced 19-year-old Senna Agius will want to give himself a belated birthday present in Assen, as the talented Australian has been training with an iron will in recent weeks to keep himself physically and mentally fit in order to be ready for the challenges ahead. The Moto2 rookie has already learnt a lot in his first seven races as a World Championship regular and wants to turn the knowledge and experience he has gained into further top results.
South African Darryn Binder has not had an effortless start to the season at times but is hopeful that the tide will turn sooner or later thanks to further determined work. In Mugello, the 26-year-old seemed to have hit the nail on the head after qualifying in fifth place and being among the leading group until his crash. However, Mugello is now behind him and the positives outweigh the negatives, so the focus is now fully on the 22-lap race in Assen on Sunday at 12:15 (CEST).
Can Collin Veijer write his personal Oranje summer fairytale? Let's find out when the starting lights for Moto3 go off at 11:00 on Sunday for the 20 fierce race laps on the 4.54 km long traditional race track. As usual, all sessions will be broadcast live on Sky Germany.
Schedule (according to CEST)
Friday, 28th of June
08:30-08:45 MotoE Practice 1
09:00-09:35 Moto3 Free practice
09:50-10:30 Moto2 Free Practice
10:45-11:30 MotoGP Free Practice 1
12:40-12:55 MotoE Practice 2
13:15-13:50 Moto3 Practice 1
14:05-14:45 Moto2 Practice 1
15:00-16:00 MotoGP Practice
17:05-17:15 MotoE Qualifying 1
17:25-17:35 MotoE Qualifying 2
Saturday, 29th of June
08:40-09:10 Moto3 Practice 2
09:25-09:55 Moto2 Practice 2
10:10-10:40 MotoGP Free Practice 2
10:50-11:05 MotoGP Q1
11:15-11:30 MotoGP Q2
12:15 MotoE Race 1 (7 laps)
12:50-13:05 Moto3 Q1
13:15-13:30 Moto3 Q2
13:45-14:00 Moto2 Q1
14:10-14:25 Moto2 Q2
15:00 MotoGP Sprint (13 laps)
16:10 MotoE Race 2 (7 laps)
Sunday, 30th of June
09:40 - 09:50 MotoGP Warm-up
11:00 Moto3 race (20 laps)
12:15 Moto2 race (22 laps)
14:00 MotoGP race (26 laps)