Just under two weeks ago, Luca Schmidt, riding as a substitute passenger for Pekka Päivärinta, won both sidecar races at the Finnish Championship in Loimaa. The 20-year-old from Thuringia doesn’t yet know what the future holds—but he does know that his career is moving forward.
After Josef Sattler ended his career following the fateful accident at the Schleizer Dreieck this year, one of Germany’s most promising co-driver talents was left out in the cold: Luca Schmidt. The offer to drive with Pekka Päivärinta in Loimaa—whose regular co-driver, Ilse de Haas, was unable to attend—therefore elicited a cry of joy from him. The fact that Päivärinta is a five-time world champion wasn’t his biggest concern afterward; rather, it was communication. “My English isn’t exactly perfect,” Schmidt admits, “but Pekka told me it’s no different for him. In the run-up to the race, we texted a lot and used Google Translate for that. Once we were there, we managed to make ourselves understood just fine. We laughed a lot and there wasn’t a single problem.”
But what’s next for Schmidt, who has won the German championship twice with Sattler? In any case, he’ll be competing in the Sidecar Trophy on October 8, 2023, at the Motorsport Arena in Oschersleben. “I’ll be competing with Patrick Werkstetter as my passenger and starting number ‘35,’ just like I did with Sepp. It’s Patrick’s first time. We’ll see if he’s up to it and up for it.” Sattler still had so many parts from 2020 in his collection that a new sidecar team could be put together.
But Schmidt doesn't want to commit to anything just yet. "Discussions are ongoing behind the scenes. Since the season isn't over yet, a lot can still change." The Sidecar World Championship would be his top choice.
