30/06/2024

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. Tatsuki Suzuki's Assen Grand Prix ended prematurely on lap 3 due to a crash.

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.

In just one week, the Sachsenring Grand Prix will be another highlight for the Germany-based LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team, where both Collin Veijer and Tatsuki Suzuki are looking to return with a bang. Especially the Japanese rider, whose race unfortunately came to an abrupt end on lap three after a solid start and initial position changes. It's a bitter pill to swallow for the 26-year-old, as he was in high spirits of being able to celebrate a personal success on this slightly overcast Sunday.
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.

Results

Race
1. Ivan ORTOLA/ SPA/ KTM
2. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – (+0.012)
3. David MUÑOZ/ SPA/ KTM – (+2.197)
DNF Tatsuki SUZUKI/ JPN/ HUSQVARNA

World Championship
1. ALONSO David/ COL – 154
2. VEIJER Collin/ NED – 115
3. HOLGADO Daniel/ SPA – 111
16. SUZUKI Tatsuki/ JPN – 31

Team classification
1. CFMOTO ASPAR TEAM – 190
2. MT HELMETS -MSI – 167
3. RED BULL GASGAS TECH3 – 155
4. LIQUI MOLY HUSQVARNA INTACT GP – 146

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!"

Tatsuki Suzuki

DNF
Moto3 World Championship 2024 - P16 - 31 Points

"It's a shame to end the weekend like this because I was expecting more today. Fortunately, we have the next race at the Sachsenring in a week's time. So, the mentality has already changed to make a good restart there. I felt good until the crash and tried to catch up with the leading group. But maybe I was pushing a bit too hard at that moment and once under breaking I was, let's say, over the limit."

Peter Öttl

Team Manager

"The weekend here in Assen started well on Friday, both riders were in good positions in both practice sessions. Collin topped the timesheets at the end of the day and Tatsu was also in the top 10. Saturday’s qualifying sessions were very exciting from our point of view. Tatsu had to start first in Q1, where he crashed. However, we were able to fix his bike very quickly and he then was able to improve his lap time, which catapulted him into Q2. There he was able to secure a good starting position for the race with twelfth place on the grid. Collin's crash took our breath away. Fortunately, he remained unhurt, which was the most important thing, and starting the race from the front row despite the crash was perfect.

It was a great pity for Tatsu that he had to retire very early due to a crash while fighting in the leading group. That was a real shame because, as in Mugello, he would have had the pace to fight at the front until the end. Collin, on the other hand, did an excellent race. Of course, it's a bit annoying when you have the opportunity to win your home race and then lose it by a ridiculous hundredth of a second. Nevertheless, his performance this weekend cannot be praised highly enough. He had the pressure he felt here very well under control at all times. Especially on race day, when he started the race from the front row as the favourite in front of his home crowd, nobody can take away the expectations from the outside. But he mastered every situation well and proved it in the race. In addition, his toughest rivals in the championship were behind him and we were able to make up some ground in the points table. With four podium finishes in the last five races, Collin has moved up one place in the overall standings. That is also pleasing. Next week at our home race at the Sachsenring, we will try to go one better."

Pictures Moto3 – Sunday Assen GP 2024

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