Since Valentin Debise (Kawasaki Weber-Motos Racing) will not be competing in the IDM finale at Hockenheim from September 24–26, 2021, due to a hand injury, the champions in two classes have been decided ahead of schedule. Ilya Mikhalchik (EGS-alpha-Van Zon-BMW) is the overall winner in the IDM’s premier class, Superbike 1000. Patrick Hobelsberger (Bonovo Action by MGM Racing) can call himself the champion in the IDM Supersport 600.
No driver other than Valentin Debise—who competed in both classes as a double-entry driver—could have stood in the way of the new champions on their path to the title, even if only theoretically. His retirement decided the outcome ahead of the Hockenheim finale.
But for 25-year-old Mikhalchik from Ukraine, as well as for Hobelsberger from Bavaria, who is the same age, this is still just a formality on paper. “We won’t comment on this until the final race is over and the curtain has fallen,” says the BMW team. The celebrations will wait until it’s all over. Hobelsberger isn’t breaking out in cheers just yet either, “because I want to go to Hockenheim and win two races on the Yamaha. Then I’ll be satisfied.”