Collin Veijer ahead of his home GP in Assen: “I’ll be hard to catch”

This coming weekend sees the Dutch TT take place in Assen – it is the 101st edition of this racing classic and, for traditionalists, the undisputed highlight of the Grand Prix calendar. There’s no denying the emotional boost that comes with a home race. Just last Sunday, Moto2 rider Filip Salac sparked huge celebrations back home. After finishing second in Hungary, the Czech rider could only manage third place in Brno, but the American Racing rider’s performance was celebrated with great enthusiasm.

No fewer than two Dutch riders will now be competing in the middleweight World Championship class. Alongside Zonta Van Den Goorbergh, who has been celebrated in the Netherlands from day one of his career thanks to his famous father Jürgen, the racing-mad scene around the Assen circuit has had a second top rider in Collin Veijer since 2025. He also seems to be well on the road to success in his home country.

Assen 2024: Heftiger Crash von Moto3-Ass Collin Veijer

Foto: Gold and Goose

His performance in 2024, in particular, remains fresh in the memory of many, and not just the Dutch. In his second year in the World Championship, Veijer was on course for pole position, but just metres from the finish line, Peter Öttl’s then protégé spectacularly crashed off his Moto3 KTM, which was liveried in Husqvarna colours. Despite sustaining a few injuries, he went on to finish on the podium in his home race on Sunday after starting from third on the grid. Ivan Ortola outmanoeuvred Veijer in the final chicane and won by a margin of 0.012 seconds.

Speaking to SPEEDWEEK.com, Veijer – who is now under contract with KTM-Ajo – reflected on that intense experience: “I still remember 2024 very clearly. The pressure weighing on me back then at Assen was immense. When I finished second – which was a huge success for me – people asked things like: ‘Why didn’t I win?’ That really knocked me for six at the time. Straight after the race, I got really ill; it all came crashing down. That carried on right up until the next GP in Germany. I did manage to take pole position at the Sachsenring, but after that, nothing went right for a while.”

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Collin Veijer, the 21-year-old who is now in his fourth GP season, also admitted: “To be completely honest – I’m going to shut myself off at Assen. It’s likely to be very difficult to get through to me there. The situation at the home GP always was and always is very special. The tension builds up there, whether you like it or not.”

2025: Veijer bei seiner Moto2-Premiere in Assen

Foto: Gold and Goose

It’s inevitable – the expectations placed on the Kalex rider, who is part of a successful team at Ajo, are significantly higher, not least because of his steadily improving form in his second Moto2 season. After finishing 15th in the 2025 final standings – interestingly, just ahead of fellow newcomer and Assen spoilsport Ortola – things are now going better, though not yet as consistently as hoped. Four DNFs are offset by four solid finishes. The highlight of 2026 was the Spanish Grand Prix. Veijer led for much of the race, only to be pipped at the post in the final stages by Manu Gonzalez and Senna Agius, the riders from his former team. Collin Veijer heads into the Dutch TT in 11th place in the World Championship standings. In 2025, he scored points by finishing 14th on his Moto2 debut.