The outcome of the FIM Sidecar World Championship has been decided: Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau (Steinhausen Racing) are world champions once again. With a controlled fourth-place finish in the sprint race at the Sidecar Festival in Oschersleben, the British rider and his French passenger secured their second consecutive world title ahead of schedule. However, Tim Reeves and co-pilot Ferry Segers (Carl Cox Motorsport) claimed an impressive victory in the rain-soaked race, proving to be in a class of their own on the wet track.
Payne and Rousseau ride tactically – Reeves pulls away
Payne and Rousseau went into the race with a 23-point lead over Sam and Tom Christie (Hannafin Racing)—and could afford to keep their cool. Their strategy was clear: finish ahead of the Christies, and the title would be theirs.
After the start, however, Tim Reeves and his co-driver Ferry Segers really stepped on the gas. Starting from pole position, the Brit made perfect use of his starting position and immediately took the lead. Like a bolt of lightning, the British duo in car number 77 pulled away and were already three seconds ahead of the chasing pack after the first lap. By the end of the second lap, Reeves had extended his lead to over six seconds and was cruising toward an unchallenged victory. “The race was fun, and I’m happy with how the weekend has gone so far,” Reeves commented after the race. In the end, he secured the win with a lead of nearly eight seconds.
The race for second place is still wide open
Markus Schlosser and Lukas Krieg (Team Schlosser) finished second, allowing them to gain further ground in the overall standings. With 219 points, the Swiss rider is now just six points behind Sam and Tom Christie (227 points), who finished only sixth in the sprint race. The battle for the runner-up title therefore remains wide open heading into Sunday’s main race.
Pekka Päivärinta and Adam Christie (Hänni Racing) secured third place in the final third of the race, confirming their strong form following their victory at Assen. Behind them, Payne and Rousseau took fourth place—and with it, the 2025 World Championship.
Werkstetter is making a strong case and has a good chance
Patrick Werkstetter and Valentin Pirat (Bonovo Action/Sattler Motorsport) also put in a strong performance, securing fifth place and finishing ahead of the Christies. With 71 points, the duo now sits in seventh place in the overall standings—and could even break into the top five of the World Championship with another top-five finish on Sunday.
Venus Remains in the Top 10 Despite Setback
Behind the top teams were Tero and Joni Manninen (Manninen Sidecar Racing), Kevin Cable and Charlie Richardson (L&W Racing), and Rupert Archer and Ondrej Sedlacek (Hannafin Racing). Markus Venus/Thomas Hofer (Sidecar Team Venus) fought their way back after a slip-up in Turn 13 and finished in tenth place—a consoling finish despite the incident.
The final race of the season will start at 2:40 p.m. on Sunday. That’s when we’ll find out who finishes as runner-up. Fans can follow this year’s final race via live timing or the race tracker.
FIM Sidecar – Sprint Race Results:
- Tim Reeves/Ferry Segers (GB/NLD), ARS Yamaha
- Markus Schlosser/Lukas Krieg (CH/D), LCR Yamaha
- Pekka Päivärinta/Adam Christie (FIN/GB), ARS Yamaha
- Harry Payne/Kevin Rousseau (GB/F), ARS Yamaha
- Patrick Werkstetter/Valentin Pirat (Germany/France), ARS Yamaha
- Sam Christie/Tom Christie (GB), LCR Yamaha
- Tero Manninen/Joni Manninen (FIN), LCR Yamaha
- Kevin Cable/Charlie Richardson (GB), LCR Yamaha
- Rupert Archer/Ondrej Sedlacek (GB/CZ), ARS Yamaha
- Markus Venus/Thomas Hofer (Germany/Switzerland), LCR Yamaha
- Wiggert Kranenburg/Kevin Kölsch (NLD/D), LCR Yamaha
- Raymond Leijdekkers, Calvin Leijdekkers (NLD)