Now Josef “Sepp” Sattler has every reason to smile. By switching to the Adolf RS1 F1 BMW, he’s done everything right. Pole position at Zolder. After several setbacks, the Bavarian and his passenger, Uwe Neubert, are back on the ideal line. Almost. During the second qualifying session, the motorcycle’s coolant temperature kept rising. The cause was a blown head gasket. Out of an abundance of caution, the team replaced the engine afterward. For anyone wondering what “Adolf RS 1” means, here’s the explanation: “Adolf” stands for the company Adolf Präzisionsteile. “RS” is the abbreviation for Rolf Steinhausen. And the number “1” indicates that it’s a 1000cc engine in a sidecar. Steinhausen, the two-time sidecar world champion, pulled all the strings and also arranged the deal with Sattler. And Sattler emphasizes several times: “Working with Steinhausen is great.”
Bennie Streuer and Gerard Daalhuizen missed the first qualifying session because they had to replace the engine, which had failed during free practice. In the second qualifying session, the Dutch duo then edged out André Kretzer and Björn Bosch from second on the grid. Kretzer must now start from the second row, and things didn’t go smoothly for him either. In the first qualifying session, he struggled with tire and suspension issues on the LCR F1-Suzuki sidecar. Then he also lost brake pressure. Kretzer and Bosch ended the session early. As it turned out later, the brake rotor had cracked. Everything was repaired overnight. The second qualifying session was now primarily used to break in the new components. In the end, Kretzer/Bosch couldn’t find a clear lap to set a top time.