4th for Veijer as Husqvarna Motorcycles chase more Moto3™ spoils in Catalunya

Round six of 2024 MotoGP™ took place at the sun-kissed Circuit de Barcelona-Cataluyna and Dutch star Collin Veijer and his FR 250 GP were protagonists in the Moto3 class once more. The IntactGP team also reached a personal best with 5th in Moto2™.

MotoGP headed to northeast Spain for the first of two back-to-back events and Grands Prix at the popular Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya followed by a trip to the epic sweeps of Mugello in Italy a week later. LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna IntactGP formed up for round six of the series with their full Moto3 and Moto2™ roster eager to continue strong results and positive progress.

Conditions were bright, breezy and warm through practice and qualification at the circuit just outside of the Catalan capital and one of the most consistent events on the MotoGP slate since the 1990s. The track itself has a 4.6km layout with 14 corners and is renowned for its constant use as a racing, testing and leisure site. The low grip of the asphalt has always been an issue and provided a technical challenge for the teams and riders for finding traction and conserving tyre life.

Collin Veijer, like many of his peers, has intimate knowledge and plenty of experience of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and arrived in Spain eager to acquire a third GP podium appearance in a row after classifying 3rd and 1st in Spain and France. Tatsuki Suzuki was also adapting quickly to the FR 250 GP and using his years in the Moto3 category to positive effect.

On Saturday Veijer made sure of the front row in Q2 with 2nd position. He was a miniscule 0.019 away from Pole but banked a prosperous slot on the grid. Suzuki tried to pull through Q1 but missed out by slithers of a second and started the 18-lap race on Sunday from 21st.

The race occurred in sunny and warmer conditions and a leading swarm of 15 riders rubbed elbows for much of the distance. Veijer hit the front of the pack numerous times and a four-way final lap chase ended with Collin just half a second from 1st place. However, 4th ensured decent championship points. Suzuki was forced into running off the track in Turn 2 and was obliged to take a Long Lap penalty for doing so and then had to repeat the sanction. The Japanese lost the tow of the leaders and reached the line in 15th.

Veijer began the weekend 3rd in the Moto3 world championship standings and after the events of Sunday morning he remains in the top three with a 29-point differential to 2nd. Suzuki is 13th. The team are ranked 4th from all in the pitlane. The high-speed and lean angles of Barcelona’s signature turns acted as a decent ‘warm-up’ for the flow of Mugello to come next week. Round seven will get fast for the whole IntactGP crew in a matter of days in Tuscany.

Collin Veijer, 4th: “P4 was the maximum today. My start was okay, and I felt good from the beginning. From then on, I pushed really hard and did my best throughout the race, although I struggled a lot in the uphill sections of the track. So, I think we have to be happy with P4 and hopefully we can do better in Mugello."

Tatsuki Suzuki, 15th: “My race didn't go as I had hoped. I had a good start and made up a lot of positions in the first sector. But later I made a stupid mistake when I was a bit too late on the brakes in the first corner, which forced me to go wide. Unfortunately, I cut the first sector there, which led to a penalty. I served it straight away but maybe I crossed the white line and that's why I got a second one. That was a shame because until that moment everything was fine as I was well positioned in the leading group. However, it is what it is, and we can still take some positives from the race after struggling for two days to get a good feel for this track. I'm looking forward to the next race is in Mugello, one of my home races. I'm really looking forward to next week."

Moto2 brought Senna Agius and Darryn Binder into action. Both riders attacked Q1 with relish on Saturday with the Australian leading the time sheets and Binder also making the cut. After the 15-minute blast through Q2 Senna made sure of 12th while Darryn grabbed 18th. Moto2 played out through 21-laps on Sunday and under more generous Catalan sun. Senna made a fantastic start to fly into the top ten and was as high as 8th in the initial stages. Agius rode brilliantly to emerge from a three-rider dispute late in the race to secure 5th at the flag: a personal best for the Aussie and also for the Husqvarna IntactGP team’s Moto2 project. Darryn persevered to come home in 15th and with the final point of the classification.

Senna Agius, 5th: “A great start and unlike the first races, I could actually stay there and fight. We had made a big change during the weekend that focused the bike on being able to attack on Sunday and we’d already started work on Friday with the rear tyre and how the drop would play-out. I kept charging forward and P5 is a massive step forward from the last races. Feet on the ground though. It’s a good result that we deserve, and we will again go to tracks I haven’t been to and have other situations to face but at least I’ve shown people what I can do. Let’s see how the rest of the season pans out.”

Darryn Binder, 15th: “Not the race I was looking for today unfortunately. I had a bad feeling with the rear of the bike and could not push as hard as I would have liked. I knew I would have to conserve the tyre but I didn’t have the grip I needed at the beginning. By the end of the race it was more or less normal but I’m disappointed because I had a good start. Just didn’t have the pace. So, we have some work to do. Onto Mugello and let’s see what happens.”

Results Moto3 Catalan Grand Prix

1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO 32:25.084, 2. Ivan Ortola (ESP) KTM +0.242, 3. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP) KTM +0.513, 4. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna IntactGP +0.560, 6. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS +3.390, 8. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS +7.248, 14. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO +8.160, 15. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna IntactGP +20.335, 19. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM +22.327

World championship standings Moto3

1. David Alonso (COL) CFMOTO, 118 points, 2. Daniel Holgado (ESP) GASGAS, 104, 3. Collin Veijer (NED) Husqvarna, 75, 6. Jose Antonio Rueda (ESP), KTM, 44, 11. Joel Esteban (ESP) CFMOTO, 35, 12. Jacob Roulstone (AUS) GASGAS, 35, 13. Tatsuki Suzuki (JPN) Husqvarna, 31, 22. Xabi Zurutuza (ESP) KTM, 3

Results Moto2 Catalan Grand Prix

1. Ai Ogura (JPN) 36:33.540, 2. Sergio Garcia (ESP) +3.816, 3. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO +9.186, 5. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna IntactGP +12.593, 15. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna IntactGP +24.747, 20. Deniz Öncü (TUR) +38.590, DNF. Celestino Vietti (ITA), DNF. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO

World championship standings Moto2

1. Sergio Garcia (ESP), 109 points, 2. Joe Roberts (USA), 89, 3. Ai Ogura (JPN), 88, 12. Celestino Vietti (ITA), 29, 15. Jake Dixon (GBR) CFMOTO, 16, 16. Senna Agius (AUS) Husqvarna IntactGP, 16, 19. Izan Guevara (ESP) CFMOTO, 10, 22. Darryn Binder (RSA) Husqvarna IntactGP, 4, 23. Deniz Öncü (TUR), 3