Tatsuki Suzuki makes his debut with LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP
It was an exciting first day of testing in Valencia for LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP newcomer Tatsuki Suzuki, who had to familiarise himself not only with the new Pirelli tyres but also with the Husqvarna Moto3 machine. Collin Veijer got used to the tyres of the new Moto3 class tyre supplier, despite being in pain.
Just one day after the emotional season finale of 2023, in which the LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP Moto3 team won the Team World Championship thanks to the outstanding performances of Ayumu Sasaki and Collin Veijer, it was time to slip back into the leathers on Monday morning and set course for 2024.
The German racing team also gave a warm welcome to new signing Tatsuki Suzuki. The Japanese rider, who succeeds his compatriot Ayumu Sasaki, who was recently crowned Moto3 vice world champion, primarily used the three one-hour practice sessions to get back to a good feeling for riding again after his almost seven-week forced break, especially as the Husqvarna is very different to the Honda he has been riding to date. For the three-time GP winner, it is now time to let all these new impressions sink in until Wednesday and, together with his new crew, put together a plan for the last day of testing before the winter break. The 26-year-old spoke very positively after his first day at work and is looking forward to getting his hands on the new 2024 machine on Wednesday.
Yesterday's rookie became today's routinier overnight. Collin Veijer, who ended his debut season as a Grand Prix winner and seventh in the World Championship, continued his work on this sunny morning at the Pirelli test in Valencia in his usual smart-headed manner. Still a little battered from the previous day's sighting lap crash, the Dutchman took it easy and concentrated less on fast lap times but more on the new tyres that will be available next year. From Wednesday, the ambitious youngster will then focus on the brand new Husqvarna, which the 18-year-old has high hopes for as the 2024 season approaches.
COLLIN VEIJER #95
"First of all, I have to say that I woke up this morning very sore, everything still hurts from yesterday's crash. Nevertheless, we got off to a good start this morning, even though it was still very early. For myself, I did a very good first session to get a feeling. Today was all about just riding, not being super-fast, and this plan worked out brilliantly in the second session. It was much better than before; we improved a lot and I felt strong all the time. In the last session this afternoon I could see a lot of things that weren't quite right from some of the riders, but now I finally know where they made their time and at what points. But that shouldn't be our concern because I think the test went quite well today and we were able to set very good lap times overall. Let's see what we can achieve on Wednesday when I ride the new bike for the first time because so far, I've seen that it's a very strong bike and I'm very excited to try it out as soon as possible. Apart from that, the conditions were good for the most part, although there was more or less annoying wind in all the corners. It was difficult because it was always coming from the inside, but overall, the weather was good for testing because it wasn't too cold and not too hot."
TATSUKI SUZUKI #24
"It was a difficult return for me because I haven't ridden a Moto3 bike since the Japanese Grand Prix. It was a break of almost seven weeks. Of course, I continued my training program with different bikes during this time, but it's a big step to get back on a proper race bike. That's why we used today as training sessions, mainly to get back into race mode. It was also my first day with the team, with the Husqvarna Moto3 bike and the new tyres from Pirelli. So, a lot of things were completely new to me and this was why it was an intense day in terms of mentality and at the end of the day, my brain was just very full. It's good that we have another day of testing on Wednesday and a day off tomorrow where I'll reset my mind to focus on what we need to work on first and foremost to get me ready as quickly as possible. First, I have to adapt my riding style to the Husqvarna because it's completely different to the bike I've been riding for the last few years. So, I'm concentrating on how I can ride the Husqvarna Moto3 machine. But in the end, I am very happy to be with LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP because the people here are very serious, professional, and also very calm. That's why I'm looking forward to working with them again on Wednesday."
