During last year’s TT, he was the initiator of the flag campaign for Collin Veijer. This year, Martin de Witte is taking his Collin Veijer merchandise out of the cupboard again and the slope is decorated at the bump.
Since the age of twelve, Martin de Witte has been heading for the track during the TT. “First with my father on the back, but as soon as I had my driver’s license, I went that way with friends,” says De Witte.
De Witte has been going to the TT for twenty years. “I’ve never missed one.” Even during the corona years, when there was no audience at the Grand Prix, he was there. “I then served as a job commissioner. So I was there.” Yet, according to the TT fan, that is different than in the audience. “It’s nicer to sit on the slope.”
Last year De Witte already came with his fellow villagers from Staphorst to put the bump on stilts and cheer for Veijer. “The overall picture was perfect, Collin was pretty surprised about how big it was.” Veijer was in the lead for a long time, but lost the first place, in the final round in the Geert Timmer-Bocht. The young man was just second (0.012 seconds behind Iván Ortolá).
He is on that slope again this year. “We are already preparing this year to decorate the bump.” The organization has already been together, which means that the preparations have been busy for some time. “So those tickles have been there for a while,” says De Witte laughing. “It really comes to the details now.”
The circuit is not the only place where they put things up. The campsite is also not safe for the orange violence. “Our location will be clearly visible. There will certainly be a few large flags.”
It was just as exciting whether the driver from Staphorst can climb his ros during the centenary of the TT. The driver was injured in his cross bike during a training in May. Later it was announced that Veijer can simply show his skills for the home crowd. “It made it extra exciting. But yes, the risk of the sport.”
Although De Witte encourages his fellow villager again this year, there is another driver of whom he secretly hopes that the person will be the first to cross the finish line. De Witte has been Marc Márquez fan for some time. “Since Collin is in the road racing, those Marc Márquez shirts stay in the closet.” An extra flag can no longer be added to the slope. “Then I get into a fight with my friends,” De Witte jokes.
He hopes in the MotoGP mainly for an exciting competition. “An exciting competition is the best during the TT, then it doesn’t even matter who wins.”
“I have no expectations,” says De Witte. “From Moto3 to Moto2 is the most difficult switch there is. Collin himself said that this is a grade.” There is, however, a very careful hope with the TT-goer. “The hope is that he takes points and maybe crawl to the top ten.”
Due to last month’s injury, everything can happen according to De Witte. “If you’ll be out for a few weeks, you will lose the flow a bit.” He also finds the field of participants enormously strong. “I think this is the strongest Moto2 field that I have experienced.” According to him, this is mainly due to the amount of experienced drivers that drive.
It is of course also a home game for the driver. “The pressure in that weekend is already high enough for such a boy, so you shouldn’t make him crazier.”
According to De Witte, the TT has everything. “The fun, the campsites, the festival. Everything is right,” he says. “You can look around everywhere on Friday and Saturday. That you can also sit in the stands those days is a big plus.” De Witte is looking forward to the upcoming TT. “Certainly. Let it come. Nice sunshine. We are ready.”