Veijer falls victim to turn 11, Suzuki strong ninth
A tragic mistake by pole man Collin Veijer destroyed the hoped-for home victory for the German LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team, while Tatsuki Suzuki fought with all his might for a strong ninth place at the Sachsenring.
Sometimes joy and sorrow lay so close together. In front of an almost sold-out Sachsenring, hopeful Collin Veijer took the start of the Moto3 race from pole position and bravely pushed through the first corner passages to lead the first lap of the 3.67 km long traditional race track. The 19-year-old's race began to frenetic cheers and unfortunately ended differently than he had hoped. On his second lap, the Dutchman turned into the treacherous turn 11, also known as the Ralf Waldmann turn, and lost the front of his fast Husqvarna while in the lead. Horror in the faces of the fans and his team. The home podium, which he thought was safe, was buried in the gravel of a corner that forgives absolutely no mistakes, as it is the first right-hand bend after an endlessly long left-hand passage. This makes the tyres extremely sensitive to the change of direction due to the drop in temperature on the right tyre side. Veijer bravely lifted up his visibly battered machine and fought. He fought to the bitter end - for his honour, the fans and his team, who had worked so tirelessly for success this weekend. The crash did nothing to dampen the youngster's pace and he even managed to get dangerously close to the points again. In eighteenth place, Collin Veijer was celebrated like a winner by the German fans, which somewhat alleviated the disappointment of the mishap.
However, the German racing team had another iron in the fire in the 23-lap thriller, as Tatsuki Suzuki also put up a strong fight for the top 10. At the start of the ninth race of the season, the rider with the number 24 lost a position, which he regained in the following laps. The leading group rode wheel-to-wheel before a gap opened up after a third of the race distance. The Japanese rider was within the chasing group around eighth position and led it at times, but none of his rivals were able to close the gap of over two seconds either. The 26-year-old finished the LIQUI MOLY Motorrad Grand Prix of Germany in ninth place, adding seven points to his championship account and moving him up to 15th place in the rankings.
Amidst all the drama, disappointment and joy, Collin Veijer and Tatsuki Suzuki once again proved to themselves and the world that they are among the top contenders in this year's Moto3 World Championship. With these positive impressions, the entire LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team leaves into the summer break with great gratitude for the incomparable support of the fans, from which they want to return even stronger for the Silverstone Grand Prix from the 2nd - 4th of August.
Results
Race
1. David ALONSO/ COL/ CFMOTO
2. Taiyo FURUSATO/ JPN/ HONDA – (+0.187)
3. Ivan ORTOLA/ SPA/ KTM – (+0.339)
9. Tatsuki SUZUKI/ JPN/ HUSQVARNA – (+5.685)
18. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – (+39.387)
World Championship
1. ALONSO David/ COL – 179
2. ORTOLA Ivan/ SPA –121
3. HOLGADO Daniel/ SPA – 120
4. VEIJER Collin/ NED – 115
15. SUZUKI Tatsuki/ JPN – 38
Team Classification
1. CFMOTO ASPAR TEAM – 217
2. MT HELMETS -MSI – 193
3. RED BULL GASGAS TECH3 – 164
4. LIQUI MOLY HUSQVARNA INTACT GP – 153
Results
Race
1. David ALONSO/ COL/ CFMOTO
2. Taiyo FURUSATO/ JPN/ HONDA – (+0.187)
3. Ivan ORTOLA/ SPA/ KTM – (+0.339)
9. Tatsuki SUZUKI/ JPN/ HUSQVARNA – (+5.685)
18. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA – (+39.387)
World Championship
1. ALONSO David/ COL – 179
2. ORTOLA Ivan/ SPA –121
3. HOLGADO Daniel/ SPA – 120
4. VEIJER Collin/ NED – 115
15. SUZUKI Tatsuki/ JPN – 38
Team Classification
1. CFMOTO ASPAR TEAM – 217
2. MT HELMETS -MSI – 193
3. RED BULL GASGAS TECH3 – 164
4. LIQUI MOLY HUSQVARNA INTACT GP – 153
