22/10/2023

Sasaki reduces Championship gap with P2 in Aussie rain thriller, Veijer strong fourth

As expected, the Australian Grand Prix delivered rain and strong winds on this 16th race Sunday of the season. But for the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 duo, it turned into an endurance test, which both second-placed Ayumu Sasaki and fourth-placed Collin Veijer passed with flying colours.

Heavy rain and thick spray made the Moto3 race at Phillip Island an extraordinary challenge. Already in the morning warm-up, it had rained at just 12°C.
Ayumu Sasaki was nevertheless hopeful of taking a start-finish victory from pole position at this 16th Grand Prix of the year, but unfortunately, this mission failed a few corners before the end of the race when Deniz Öncü relegated him to second place. Before that, however, the Japanese made a good start and took the holeshot in the first corner. And while numerous competitors crashed, Sasaki fought his way back into the lead after having to relinquish it to Adrian Fernandez until lap 18.
The near triumph was within Ayumu Sasaki's grasp, as was the World Championship lead, but at the end of the day, the most important thing was to stay seated and finish as many positions ahead of Jaume Masia as possible. Sasaki eventually crossed the line in second place, 0.407s behind race winner Deniz Öncü. With only four championship points difference, the 23-year-old now travels to Thailand for the last stop of this triple-header, where he will continue to fight for the championship lead with even more bite.

A big "chapeau" also goes to Collin Veijer. The Dutchman managed the treacherous conditions on the 4.45 km Australian track like a pro.
After a successful start, the rookie immediately moved up two positions to the front. In fourth place, he chased down the leading group, in which he was involved for long stretches of the race. However, in the course of the 21-lap race, it became clear that the 18-year-old was not quite able to keep up with the leading pace, which is why he finished his race solidly in fourth place and was able to enjoy another 13 points.

Next stop: Thailand. From 27th to 29th of October, the successful duo of the German Moto3 racing team will have their next chance to fight for victories, podium places, and even the World Championship lead.

Results

Warm-Up
1. Jaume MASIA/ SPA/ HONDA – 1'49.237
2. David MUÑOZ/ SPA/ KTM – 1'49.346 (+0.109)
3. Mario AJI/ INA/ HONDA – 1'49.348 (+0.111)
6. Ayumu SASAKI/ JAP/ HUSQVARNA – 1'50.569 (+1.332)
17. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – 1'52.098 (+2.861)

Race
1. Deniz ÖNCÜ/ TUR/ KTM
2. Ayumu SASAKI/ JAP/ HUSQVARNA – (+0.407)
3. Joel KELSO/ AUS/ CFMOTO – (+4.392)
4. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – (+23.062)

World Championship
1. Jaume MASIA/ SPA/ – 217
2. Ayumu SASAKI/ JAP – 213 (-4)
3. Daniel HOLGADO/ SPA - 195 (-22)
12. Collin VEIJER/ NED – 89 (-128)

Team Classification
1. LIQUI MOLY HUSQVARNA INTACT GP – 302
2. RED BULL KTM AJO – 291 (-11)
3. LEOPARD RACING – 278 (-24)

Ayumu Sasaki

P2 - (+0.407)
Moto3 World Championship 2023 - P2 - 213 Points

"I'm happy with second place because it was a difficult race with rain and wind. Sometimes both were stronger and sometimes less strong. So, it was difficult to manage the situation, but we were able to handle it well every time. In the last five laps, it changed constantly, which is why I lost a bit of concentration. Nevertheless, I tried to stay focused and not make any mistakes in the last laps. On the last lap, Deniz passed me and again we didn't manage to win a race, which is a bit of a shame. But I think we've done a great job in terms of the championship. And that's the goal, and that's what we need to focus on. We'll try again in a week."

Collin Veijer

P4 - (+23.062)
Moto3 World Championship 2023 - P12 - 89 Points

"I felt okay in the warm-up this morning, even though I didn't push that hard. It was just a matter of getting a feel for the conditions and seeing what the track is like and also the wind. P17 meant nothing in the end, so it wasn't too bad to start race day in completely different conditions. But then on the grid, it was very cold, I was already freezing. That worried me a bit, although I was able to warm up a bit at the start and felt good in the first laps. As the race progressed, we had a big gap to the riders, which I think grew to up to 24 seconds. But in the last five laps it was freezing cold out there. I couldn't move my fingers and toes; I was just shaking on the bike. So, I didn't do anything other than bring P4 home safely and score good points again. We also made a big step again considering where we were in Argentina and where we are now in the rain, which is much better now. We can be very satisfied with this weekend."

Peter Öttl

Team Manager

"Australia was a successful weekend for us. Ayumu took his fourth pole position of the year and Collin qualified sixth on the grid. In the race, which for a long time was questioned as to whether it could take place at all, we took a second and a fourth place in very, very difficult conditions. In conditions like these, where the risk of crashing out is enormous, the performance of both was very strong to bring it home faultless and being fast on top of that. In addition, we improved in the championship with Ayumu and reduced the gap a lot. Of course, it would have been nice to end the weekend with a win after we were very competitive in all conditions and thus take the lead in the points table. However, Ayumu had to make sure he finished the race, and that was a clear priority that he handled very well. Collins' fourth place is also an outstanding achievement considering that at the beginning of the season, we were still in the last quarter of the field in such conditions, he has improved a lot in that regard over the course of the season. As a bonus, we were able to extend our lead in the team standings with this strong team result, so to speak, which is also a great success for the entire team. All this together makes us very satisfied and we can look forward to the next race with optimism."

Australian GP 2023 – Sunday Moto3

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