Sidecar: Payne Wins and Closes in on the Lead

Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau won the first race of the FIM Sidecar World Championship in Oschersleben, putting them within striking distance of taking the lead in the overall standings. Markus Schlosser and Luca Schmidt secured second place, while Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes rounded out the podium in third.

Markus Schlosser and Luca Schmidt (Team Schlosser/LCR Yamaha) started Saturday’s sprint race from pole position and maintained a firm grip on the lead right from the start. Behind them were Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau (Steinhausen Racing / ARS Yamaha), as well as Tim Reeves, who moved up one position to push Bennie Streuer and Kevin Kölsch back to fourth place.

Payne, who was on brand-new tires for the first time this weekend, put pressure on Schlosser right from the start and stayed right on his tail. But the Swiss driver was able to break free time and again on the straights and pull away from his pursuer. The nerve-wracking cat-and-mouse game between the two leaders lasted six laps, during which they had built up a significant lead over the rest of the field. On the seventh of twelve laps, Payne finally pulled off the decisive pass to take the lead. “Schlosser was so incredibly fast on the straights that it was hard to pass him,” Harry Payne commented on the duel with Schlosser, adding: “I could only make my move at the very last moment.”

Payne finally got a bit of luck when he passed without any delay while being lapped, while Schlosser got stuck just behind him and lost valuable time. “That was an unfortunate moment for us, and in the end, we couldn’t make up those few seconds,” Markus Schlosser summed up after the race.

With a lead of 4.07 seconds, Payne and Rousseau were the first to cross the finish line. While this secured them the victory, Markus Schlosser—who had to settle for second place—remains at the top of the World Championship standings with a two-point lead.

Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes (Carl Cox Motorsport/ARS Yamaha) held on to third place despite gearbox issues, edging out Bennie Streuer and Kevin Kölsch by a razor-thin margin of 0.137 seconds to finish fourth. Pekka Päivärinta and Adam Christie (Hänni Racing/ARS Yamaha) rounded out the top five.

In the IDM Championship, which has been decided since Assen by winners Ted and Vincent Peugeot (Seventy Four Racing Team/LCR Yamaha), Lukas Wyssen and Ema Salmon (Gustoil Sidecar Racing/LCR Yamaha) took the win, thereby extending their lead in the battle for the runner-up title over Lennard Göttlich/Lucas Krieg (Bonovo Action Junior-Team ADAC Sachsen e.V./ARS Yamaha). Samuel and Jack Laidlow (Team Laidlow/LCR Yamaha) took second place, followed by the Peugeots. Up-and-coming talent Patrick Werkstetter (Team Bonovo Action/Sattler Motorsport/ARS Yamaha) still has every chance in the race for third place in the IDM overall standings.

The second race will take place on Sunday at 2:20 p.m. at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. Although there is no live stream, the main race can be followed via live timing.

Results of the FIM Sidecar World Championship, Race 1