18/08/2024

Veijer strong fifth in Austria, Suzuki P12, Rosenthaler P22

The LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 trio of Collin Veijer, Tatsuki Suzuki and Jakob Rosenthaler each delivered a strong performance in Austria. While Veijer was in direct contention for victory and took P5, the Japanese rider finished twelfth after a long lap penalty, while the local hero and Junior GP Wildcad rider made a successful debut with 22nd place.

When the lights went out on the 4.35-kilometre Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria, a top-class podium battle ensued. Collin Veijer was in the thick of it and at times ahead of the pack. Despite a solid start from third position, the Dutchman lost ground slightly in the first few corners and had to fight his way back from seventh place in the following laps, which he managed to do until the middle of the race. The 19-year-old also closed the gap to the top three on his own, which he attacked very successfully a little later and left behind him. It was not until five laps before the end that championship rival David Alonso overtook Veijer, who had been in the lead until then. However, the latter had other fast rivals in tow, which disrupted the rhythm of the world championship fourth-placed rider for a short time. Veijer tried with all his might to fight back, but he lost too much time due to a weakening front at the entrance to the corner, while Alsonso, Muñoz and Holdagdo fought it out at the front for the eleventh race win of the season. A final attempt to salvage fourth place was unsuccessful and so the youngster finished the Austrian Grand Prix in a strong fifth place with a further eleven championship points.

Tatsuki Suzuki also put up a strong fight in the 20-lap race, having to overcome an immense hurdle with a long lap penalty imposed on him before the start. The 26-year-old veteran started the race in thirteenth place and decided early on to serve his penalty, which dropped him back to 22nd place. From then on, the Japanese rider pushed his fast Husqvarna forwards lap after lap, even setting the fastest lap of the race and making his way into the points. Once there, numerous thrilling duels ensued, which Suzuki ultimately finished in twelfth position. A strong performance that was rewarded with four points.

Moto3 World Championship debutant Jakob Rosenthaler delivered a truly remarkable performance in front of tens of thousands of fans at his home Grand Prix. The 18-year-old Austrian kept his nerve and, after a good start, fought his way up from 25th to 22nd place, where he kept on duelling until the end of the race. The talented youngster was delighted after his first race weekend on the world stage and is already looking forward to gaining further valuable experience at his second wildcard event in Misano at the beginning of September.

But before heading to Italy for the Misano race, the Gran Premio de Aragon from 30.08 - 01.09.2024 awaits the MotoGP entourage, which will hold its twelfth stop of the season on Spanish soil and continue to fight for the remaining world championship points.

Results

Race
1. David ALONSO/ COL/ CFMOTO
2. David MUÑOZ/ SPA/ KTM – (+0.121)
3. Daniel HOLGADO/ SPA/ GASGAS – (+0.126)
5. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – (+0.303)
12. Tatsuki SUZUKI/ JPN/ HUSQVARNA – (+8.447)
22. Jakob ROSENTHALER/ AUT/ HUSQVARNA – (+24.987)

World Championship
1. ALONSO David/ COL – 224
2. ORTOLA Ivan/ SPA –153
3. HOLGADO Daniel/ SPA – 149
4. VEIJER Collin/ NED – 142
13. SUZUKI Tatsuki/ JPN – 48

Team Classification
1. CFMOTO ASPAR TEAM – 265
2. MT HELMETS -MSI – 238
3. RED BULL GASGAS TECH3 – 195
4. LIQUI MOLY HUSQVARNA INTACT GP – 190

Collin Veijer

P5 - (+0.303)
Moto3 World Championship 2024 - P4 - 142 Points

“Our race performance was not bad, the feeling was okay. I had to close the gap to the front and did my best to catch them. Eventually, I took the lead and then tried to ride at a faster pace. I also tried to find my rhythm and the feeling was still okay. But towards the end of the race, I lost a bit of confidence in the front. So, I had to slow down a bit and was overtaken by the others. Then, however, I couldn't get back to the front so easily. Overall, the weekend was very strong again, so I'm very confident that we can do a good job in Aragon.”

Tatsuki Suzuki

P12 - (+8.447)
Moto3 World Championship 2024 - P13 - 48 Points

“It was quite a positive race, but it was a shame because of the long lap penalty from qualifying. We got the maximum out of today and also set the fastest lap in the race. We wanted a better result, but there are still positive things that we can take with us to Aragon.”

Jakob Rosenthaler

P22 – (+24.987)

“I'm satisfied because the race was more or less what I expected. The start was good, but the first few laps were very chaotic due to the many long lap penalties. There was a lot of movement in the pack, which was also good for me, because several fast riders came from behind and I was able to follow them, at least for a while. But that allowed me to catch up with the group in front of me. After the first third of the race, things sorted themselves out again and in my group with four or five other riders it wasn't as spectacular, even if there were a lot of overtaking manoeuvres. These continued until the end, before there were again several long lap penalties that shook up the positions again.”
“That's why I didn't want to make any more mistakes on the last few laps, but I was very careful not to make any track exceedings. Of course, I would have liked to lead my group at the line, but I think my performance was still okay. I will definitely remember this weekend for a long time to come. I was most impressed on Friday morning when the guys went out on track and were already setting record times from the second lap. That shows the high level of the World Championship, because they need zero time to adjust to the conditions. Finally, a big thank you to the team for the warm welcome and also for the support and help from everyone. My thanks also go to everyone involved who made this possible for me here and in Misano in September - thank you LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP!”

Peter Öttl

Team Manager

“Spielberg is always a very special race for me, as it's practically my home race due to its proximity to my home town. Another special feature was that we had a third rider in our box for the first time, Jakob Rosenthaler. He had his first wild card this weekend, and at his home too, which was something very special for him. I think we can all be very happy with 22nd place in the race. Collin performed strongly in practice sessions as usual and was able to secure a starting position on the front row yesterday. In the race, he fought for the podium until the last lap. However, he had some difficulties at overtaking, where he could only take great risks. So, on a day like this, you have to be more than happy with fifth place rather than risking too much and possibly crashing. Despite fifth place, he was able to significantly reduce the gap to second place in the overall standings.

After Tatsu qualified for Q2, he did a strong race and proved after a long lap penalty that he was the fastest rider on track today together with Ivan Ortola. This is also confirmed by the fastest race lap in the race he set. Although he was able to close the gap to the chasing pack, he lost a few positions. The top 10 would have been a perfect end to his strong performance. As it is, we have to be satisfied with another solid twelfth place, which we can build on to move him further up the field in the next races.”

Pictures Moto3 – Sunday Austrian GP 2024

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