After a seven-week break, the FIM Sidecar World Championship returns on June 14–15 for Round 3 at the legendary Pannónia-Ring in Hungary—and the title race couldn’t be more exciting.
Schlosser/Schmidt hold a narrow lead – Payne/Rousseau are hot on their heels
Two races have been completed, and two of the favorite teams have already established themselves: Markus Schlosser and Luca Schmidt (Team Schlosser/LCR Yamaha) head to Hungary as the championship leaders—with a lead of just 13 points over reigning world champions Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau (Steinhausen Racing/ARS Yamaha).
For the British-French duo, however, the season began with a setback: a technical issue during the opening weekend at Le Mans forced them to retire early—a zero-point finish right at the start of the season. But in Portugal, Payne and Rousseau made an impressive comeback. After an intense 10-lap sprint, which Schlosser/Schmidt narrowly won in the final meters, the 17-lap main race also turned into a nail-biter, with Payne/Rousseau capitalizing at just the right moment: A spin by Schlosser on the final lap sent him into the gravel—and the defending champions seized their chance to secure the victory. It was also a major step back toward the top of the standings.
The Christie Brothers: In the Wake of the Defending Champions
Hot on the heels of the leaders: British brothers Sam and Tom Christie (Hannafin/LCR Yamaha). After a strong second-place finish at Le Mans, they had to settle for a bit less at Estoril—but remain firmly in the title race, trailing Payne/Rousseau by just two points. Following two consistent weekends, the duo now leads the Finnish-British duo of Pekka Päivärinta and Adam Christie (Hänni Racing/ARS Yamaha) by 21 points.
Ellis and Clément under pressure
They dominated the scene for two years, but now they need to step it up: Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clément (Team Ellis/Clement Racing/LCR Yamaha) are currently in fifth place—seven points ahead of Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes (Carl Cox Motorsport/ARS Yamaha), but well behind the leaders. If the British-French dream team, which has just returned from the Isle of Man TT, wants to complete its hat trick, it urgently needs to score a large number of points in Hungary.
Race Times & Live Timing
Even though there won’t be an official livestream this weekend, fans won’t have to go without live updates entirely: The live timing feature lets you follow the action at the Pannónia Ring in real time—including sector times, position changes, and race developments.
The action kicks off on Saturday, June 14, at 6:30 p.m. with the nine-lap sprint race. The main race starts on Sunday, June 15, at 12:15 p.m. and covers the full distance of 15 laps.