Today’s FIM Superside World Championship final was not for the faint of heart. It was a spectacular show that unfolded at the Circuito do Estoril in Portugal. In the end, a margin of just 0.053 seconds decided that the world championship title went to Harry Payne/Kevin Rousseau (Steinhausen Racing), while Markus Schlosser/Luca Schmidt (Guistol Sidecar Racing) took home the runner-up spot.
Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau capped off the 2024 season with a victory and the world championship title. It is the first world championship title in the career of the British-French crew, who race for a German team. After crossing the finish line, there was no holding them back. Rousseau jumped out of the boat and threw his arms around his driver’s neck. Back in the pit, as had happened many times before, the team slipped bright pink curly wigs over their heads. The “45” on the sidecar was covered with a golden “1.” The celebration was in full swing.
As championship leaders, Schlosser and Schmidt had arrived in Portugal with a seven-point lead and high hopes of winning the title. But after securing pole position, Payne and Rousseau made it clear during today’s warm-up that, as the only remaining contenders, they too would make the most of their chances to claim the championship crown. And they struck immediately. They unofficially broke the lap record—set, of all people, by Schlosser and his former co-driver Marcel Fries—by 14 thousandths of a second, clocking in at 1:45.823 minutes on the 4.182-kilometer course.
And the action continued. Late in the morning, Payne/Rousseau won the 10-lap sprint race. This moved them within two points of the championship leaders, Schlosser/Schmidt, who had no chance of winning and finished second. Schlosser and 21-year-old Luca Schmidt from Schleiz even had to watch as Payne officially broke the lap record on the third lap. Three teams battled for third place: Sam Christie/Tom Christie (Team Hannafin), Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes (Carl Cox Motorsport), and Pekka Päivärinta/Adam Christie (Hänni Racing), until Reeves dropped out due to a lost handlebar grip.
But for championship leader Schlosser, nothing was lost yet. Ahead of the 17-lap main race, which was set to take place just three and a half hours later, he still held a two-point lead over Payne. Now the race would decide the winner and the loser. Payne/Rousseau used their pole position to quickly take the lead after the start. Schlosser/Schmidt stayed close, but the only one closing in from behind was an extremely tenacious Reeves, who later had to drop back. The big showdown came in the final four laps. Schlosser pushed the yellow nose of the “3” sid-by-side with the “45” for the first time. The rest was pure drama. Payne and Schlosser battled it out at their best; the Swiss rider set the fastest lap of the race, and neither could afford to make a mistake. It went back and forth. The 2021 world champion gave it his all. In the end, Payne withstood the Swiss rider’s pressure and crossed the finish line 0.053 seconds earlier. Now, together with his passenger Kevin Rousseau, he is also a world champion for the first time.
Sprint Race Results
1. Harry Payne/Kevin Rousseau (GBR/FRA), ARS Yamaha
2. Markus Schlosser/Luca Schmidt (CHE/DEU), LCR Yamaha
3. Sam Christie/Tom Christi (GBR/GBR), LCR Yamaha
4. Pekka Päivärinta/Adam Christie (FIN/GBR), ARS Yamaha
5. Lukas Wyssen/Ema Salmon (CHE/FRA), LCR Yamaha
6. Bennie Streuer/Ferry Segers (NLD/NLD), ARS Yamaha
7. Paul Leglise/Marjorie Cescutti (FRA/FRA), LCR Yamaha
8. Rupert Archer/Thomas Hofer (GBR/CHE), ARS Yamaha
9. Pierre Leguen/Leopold Rouby (FRA/FRA), LCR Yamaha
10. Raymond Leijdekkers/Calvin Leijdekkers (NLD/NLD), R&R Yamaha
11. Rogier Weekers/Océane Battaille (NL/F), R&R Yamaha
Main Race Results
1. Harry Payne/Kevin Rousseau (GB/F), ARS Yamaha
2. Markus Schlosser/Luca Schmidt (CH/D), LCR Yamaha
3. Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes (GB), ARS Yamaha
4. Pekka Päivärinta/Adam Christie (FIN/GB), ARS Yamaha
5. Bennie Streuer/Ferry Segers (NL), ARS Yamaha
6. Sam Christie/Tom Christie (GB), LCR Yamaha
7. Paul Leglise/Marjorie Cescutti (F), LCR Yamaha
8. Lukas Wyssen/Ema Salmon (CH/F), LCR Yamaha
9. Rupert Archer/Thomas Hofer (GB/CH), ARS Yamaha
10. Pierre Leguen/Leopold Rouby (F), LCR Yamaha
11. Raymond Leijdekkers/Calvin Leijdekkers (NL), R&R Yamaha
12. Rogier Weekers/Océane Bataille (NL/F), R&R Yamaha.
World Cup Final Score
1. Payne/Rousseau (GBR/FRA), 255 points; 2. Schlosser/Schmidt (CHE/DEU), 252; 3. Christie/Christie (GBR/GBR), 162; 4. Päivärinta/Christie (FIN/GBR), 140; 5. Todd Ellis/Emmanuelle Clément (GBR/FRA), 133; 6. Streuer/Kölsch (NLD/GER), 117; 7. Wyssen/Salmon (SUI/FRA), 85; 8. Ted Peugeot/Vincent Peugeot (FRA/FRA), 84; 9. Leglise/Cescutti (FRA/FRA), 75; 10. Lennard Göttlich/Lucas Krieg (GER/GER), 52; 11. Archer/Hofer (GBR/SUI), 52; 12. Sam Laidlow/Jack Laidlow (GBR/GBR), 46; 13. Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes (GBR/GBR), 43; 14. Patrick Werkstetter/Valentin Pirat (GER/FRA), 33; 15. Kevin Cable/Charlie Richardson (GBR/GBR), 29
