Victor Steeman passes away after the tragic accident in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship’s Race 1 at Portimão.
Once again, world motorcycling is in mourning for the death of one of its young promises, the Dutchman Victor Steeman, after a serious incident in Race 1 of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship during the Pirelli Portugal Round at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, a race in which the Spanish Álvaro Díaz was proclaimed champion last Saturday.
Steeman leaves a strong mark on the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship for his charismatic personality, but also for his status as a great competitor on the track, as a constant fighter at the front of the pack in WorldSSP300, as well as in other championships in which he has competed before and during his time in the World Championship.
After two seasons in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, Steeman made his WorldSSP300 debut in 2018 joining the KTM Fortron Junior Team, completing two races at Portimao and Magny-Cours. The Dutchman gave the first taste of his burgeoning talent on his debut in Portugal, where he scored a point, but his qualities on track would grow rapidly during his time in WorldSSP300. In his first full season in 2019, riding for the Freudenberg KTM Junior Team, Steeman scored points in all but one race that year, including four top-six finishes. It was a sign of things to come as his already evident talent continued to develop. 2019 was also the year he took his first pole position, at Jerez, a display of his lap speed that he continued to show in the Championship.
Steeman spent the 2020 season in the German IDM championship, a return to a series where he had previously enjoyed success. In 2018 he took two wins, eight podiums and two pole positions on his way to third in the standings. In that 2020 course, he finished fifth and focused solely on competing in Germany and Holland, where he was Supersport Champion. That year he added another win and two pole positions, before returning in 2021 to the IDM to make a one-off appearance in which he took the victory.
In 2021, Steeman returned to WorldSSP300 full-time, again on a KTM mount, but for the Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP team, once again excelling for both his one-lap speed and race management skills. He took two pole positions, on his home track – the TT Circuit Assen – and on the Championship’s first visit to the Most Autodrome in the Czech Republic. There he was able to turn pole position into a brilliant victory, the first of five in the Championship and the last for KTM to date.
This season, Steeman moved on to race for the MTM Kawasaki team, and his talent and personality shone brighter than ever. He scored four more wins and launched a serious title challenge against Álvaro Díaz (Arco Motor University Team) and Marc García (Yamaha MS Racing). The switch from him to Kawasaki had immediate rewards. He was victorious at home, in Race 1 at Assen, as well as at most, Magny-Cours and at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Often leading the pack throughout the 2022 campaign, Steeman was a shining star on both the world stage and in the national championships.
Always optimistic about his chances, in races and in the championship, Steeman kept the fight for the 2022 title until the last round, even though the odds were against him given the point difference with Diaz. Steeman’s presence and character within the paddock will be sorely missed. Charismatic, polite and always with a sense of humour, Steeman brought success to his teams with his fierce competitive nature on the track but above all, he leaves an imprint of pride, warmth and charm to all who knew him in and out of the paddock. of WorldSBK.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
