Melvin van der Voort’s (15, NL, Team SWPN) trademark is his wild, shoulder-length mane. His eyes sparkle with mischief. On top of that, the Yamaha rider always has a cheeky remark at the ready: “Leading the IDM doesn’t really mean anything and is nothing more than a snapshot in time.” He casually adds: “That doesn’t make me nervous.”
Van der Voort let his performance do the talking at the IDM opener: He started from pole position for the first time in the IDM and won the first race by eight seconds. No wonder: After all, Assen is his favorite track. “It’s a great feeling to win a race,” the Yamaha rider exclaimed.
In the second race, he finished third in a nail-biting finale, just 0.05 seconds behind, and leads the overall standings ahead of the IDM doubleheader at Sachsenring and Lausitzring. A lot of work now awaits him and his team SWPN (Stichting Wegrace Promotie Nederland). The Sachsenring is uncharted territory, and two race events within seven days create a lot of pressure. But van der Voort is taking it in stride: “My goal this year was to secure a few podium finishes, and I’ve already achieved that at Assen.”
The 15-year-old Yamaha rider has adjusted his goal for the season. “I want to secure a few more podium finishes now, and at the end of the season we’ll see where we stand.” His team is a huge source of support for him: “The atmosphere is very relaxed, but when things get serious, everyone is very focused,” he says. SWPN also enjoys Yamaha’s full support.
Van der Voort comes from the Dutch motorcycle racing academy. He started motocross at the age of six and was discovered for road racing in the 2017 Molenaar NSF 125 Cup. He finished eleventh in his first season there. But just one year later, as a rookie in the Yamaha R125 Cup, he turned heads by finishing second overall.
Last year, the young rider from Ede made the move to the IDM. He finished the championship in eighth place, gaining momentum with each race weekend. In the final race of last year, he finished fourth. In the Supersport 300 fray on the track, Melvin is always easy to spot. The bright orange of his helmet is easy to spot. His number 20 is also easy to remember. Van der Voort was born on July 20, 2005.
I only know the Sachsenring from a test a few weeks ago. “It’s a very challenging track, but I really like it. Especially the first section with the very long turns.”