03/11/2024

Veijer takes P5 in Malaysian heat battle, Suzuki has bad luck in top fight

After Tatsuki Suzuki retired from one of his strongest races in the leading group due to a technical defect, LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 rider Collin Veijer had to hold the flag high for the German racing team alone in the closely contested Moto3 Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Sepang International Circuit demanded everything from man and machine in high temperatures and even higher humidity. This was also the case for Collin Veijer, who pushed his Husqvarna to the limit during the 15 laps of the race in order to keep in touch with the potential podium places. Up until a few laps before the end, it looked as if the 19-year-old, who started the race from eighth on the grid, still had something up his sleeve to make up ground, but a few duels took their toll. Nevertheless, the Dutchman managed to secure fifth place in the battle for the runner-up title. In the riders' championship, Veijer is level with Daniel Holgado, who crashed in Sepang, which postpones the decision on the runner-up title until the grand final.

Tatsuki Suzuki's strong weekend and race up to that point came to an abrupt end on lap nine after the chain on the bike of the Japanese rider broke. He was in fifth place at the time and on course to turn his best qualifying result to date into his best race result, but unfortunately, this was not meant to be for the 26-year-old. However, he still has one last chance to top his best result of the season to date in Austin and end his season with the German racing team with a highlight.

In the team standings, too, the aim is to eliminate the 13-point deficit to second place at the finale, which will not be held in Valencia following the terrible flood disaster, but this will require two top results from the Dutch-Japanese duo.

Results

Race
1. David ALONSO/ COL/ CFMOTO
2. Taiyo FURUSATO/ JPN/ HONDA - (+0.088)
3. Jose Antonio RUEDA/ SPA/ KTM - (+0.411)
5. Collin VEIJER/ NED/ HUSQVARNA - (+1.091)
DNF
Tatsuki SUZUKI/ JPN/ HUSQVARNA

World Championship
1. ALONSO David/ COL - 396
2. HOLGADO Daniel/ SPA - 236
3. VEIJER Collin/ NED - 236
14. SUZUKI Tatsuki/ JPN - 88

Team Classification
1. CFMOTO ASPAR TEAM - 441
2. MT HELMETS -MSI - 337
3. LIQUI MOLY HUSQVARNA INTACT GP - 324 (-13)

Collin Veijer

P5 - (+1.091)
Moto3 World Championship 2024 - P3 - 236 Points

"The feeling was really good. Before the race we were told that we would have another race, so we decided not to risk too much, but just to stay on the bike. When I saw that my rival for P2 in the overall standings crashed, I told myself to stay calm and not risk anything crazy. That's what I did for the whole race, collecting everything but always trying to stay in the group. At some point, I followed Ortola and wanted to overtake him at a certain point, because it wasn't possible on the straights. But I had a lot of trouble at the corner entries at the hard braking points because we were using the harder front tyre. Overall, we did a good job in terms of the championship by finishing the race in P5. This means that we are equal on points with the second-placed rider. But P4 in the overall standings has moved a bit closer, separated by just two points. So, we have to focus on the last race and do our job well there, because we really want to take the runner-up title."

Tatsuki Suzuki

DNF
Moto3 World Championship 2024 - P14 - 88 Points

"My start was okay. After that, I stayed pretty calm because we had opted for the harder tyre. My plan was to stay behind the group. But when I realized that the riders in front were slowing down the pace, I said to myself: Okay, this is the moment to push. Unfortunately, we then had a technical problem. We still don't know exactly what happened, so sadly, we couldn't finish the race. But up to that point, it was a very good race. So, it's a shame, but on the other hand, we were able to show our potential very well. We still have one race to go and we're not going to bury our heads in the sand but work hard to make it there.”

Peter Öttl

Team Manager

"We have also proven our competitiveness here in Malaysia with both riders. Both Collin and Tatsu showed strong performances in all practice sessions. We are delighted for Tatsu with fourth place on the grid, which was his best qualifying result this year, while Collin qualified eighth on the third row. Both were fast in all conditions, whether the track was wet or dry. We were in the top ten in every session. Those were very good conditions for race day. Things looked also very promising in the early stages of the race, as both were in the top six. Unfortunately, Tatsu had to retire due to a defect, and we feel very sorry for him. We think he had the potential for a podium finish today. It was definitely within his reach, and he would have more than deserved it. It would have been very nice for him and his crew, but also for the whole team. On the other hand, it was important that Collin finished the race in a solid fifth place. That was the maximum for him today. So, we go into the final race tied on points with the second-placed rider in the championship, where we hope to clinch the runner-up title with Collin and also finish the season in second place in the team standings."

Pictures Moto3 – Sunday Malaysian GP 2024

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