They’re back on the track. Sidecars will be competing at the IDM event in Most from June 11 to 13, 2021. Eleven teams have registered their 600 cm³ sidecars for the entire season. In addition, there will be guest appearances by riders on 1000 cm³ sidecars. They will be integrated into the field, but due to the consistently low number of participants, this class will no longer have its own standings. The reduction in engine displacement to 600 cm³ has finally taken hold.
In addition to the joint IDM events in Most, Schleiz, Assen, Hockenheim, and at the Red Bull Ring, the sidecar teams will, as they did last year, compete in additional championship races as part of the Sidecar Festival in Oschersleben. This means there will be a total of six events, each featuring two full-distance races.
“We’re thrilled that the season is finally getting underway and that the first spectators are once again allowed back at the track,” says Robert Werth, CEO of the Gespannrennen Association. At the same time, he announces two newcomers to the field: Nils Köster and his passenger, Wouter Zwiers. They come from the classic car scene and will make their debut in Most in an F1 sidecar that comes from the used inventory of multiple world champion Tim Reeves.
The seven-time champion himself is focusing on his World Championship races in 2021 but will make a guest appearance in the IDM. Not on the starting grid in Most will be regular entrant Markus Schlosser with passenger Marcel Fries. Like Reeves, last year’s IDM class winner will be competing at the World Championship in Le Mans that weekend. Bennie Streuer will also be absent. He was involved in a serious accident during testing in April with his new co-driver, Emanuelle Clement, and must still sit out. The Wout Vermeule/Jarno Bouius team is being held back by COVID-19 regulations.
Josef Sattler, on the other hand, has signed up with young rider Luca Schmidt as his passenger. In theory, the Bonovo Action Team rider was supposed to compete for points in the World Championship, just like his teammate Tim Reeves, but Sattler was involved in a crash during testing at Le Mans in March. When he recently put himself and his machine through their paces at the Sidecar Trophy in Rijeka, the Bavarian realized that he is not yet physically ready for a return to the World Championship. The injured right shoulder and broken ribs that Sattler sustained at Le Mans still prevent him from competing on the biggest stage. To stay in the groove together at a high level nonetheless, Sattler and Schmidt have therefore decided to race in the IDM at Most.
Teams Permanently Enrolled in 2021:
Team Schlosser #3
Driver: Markus Schlosser
Co-driver: Marcel Fries
SRT #11
Driver: Peter Kirmeswenger
Co-driver: Kevin Kölsch
Team Königswartha e.V. #19
Driver: Markus Schwegler
Co-driver: Ondrej Kopecky
Rutz Sidecar Racing Team #56
Rider: Jakob Rutz
Passenger: Clement Conil
Halo/Delmenco #87
Driver: Wout Vermeule
Co-driver: Jarno Bouius
KapXRacing #7
Driver: Franz Kapeller
Co-driver: Markus Billich
TSR Racing #14
Driver: Dean Nicholls
Co-driver: Ronja Mahl
Team Zimmermann #33
Driver: Max Zimmermann
Co-driver: Ferry Seegers
RCN Factory Racing #85
Driver: Wiggert Kranenburg
Co-driver: TBA
Delta Racing Team #97
Driver: Michael Grabmüller
Co-driver: TBA
Racing Team Köster #99
Driver: Nils Köster
Co-driver: Wouter Zwiers