FIM World Sidecar Championship Estoril 27/28/29 October

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Sprint race

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Race one report from Mark Walters

Estoril, Portugal.

Sprint Race.

“Masterclass from Paivarinta and Schmidt”

It was dry, but would the track be dry. 30 minutes before the race all teams and mechanics were looking to the skies. And walking backwards and forwards to the track to see what the conditions were likely to be. In the end it was a dry race, but there were some damp patches round the back of the circuit.

The lights went out and what a start from pole sitters Pekka Paivarinta and Luca Schmidt, they were off. No other team had an answer for the “flying Finn”, with his young German passenger Luca Schmidt. They led comfortably from start to finish. A clean sweep so far for the team, pole, race win, and fastest lap.

Ben and Tom Birchall tried hard to stay with Paivarinta and Schmidt but it was not to be, the team had to settle for second place. For the Birchall brothers this was good though, second place with Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement in third keeps their championship hopes alive.

Ellis and Clement took third place, they stuck with the Birchall’s at the beginning but had to settle for third, they will need to do it all again tomorrow.

Harry Pain and Kevin Rousseau took a good fourth place. The team were reasonably happy with this result.

The top four teams kept their places as soon as the lights went out.

Sam and Tom Christie took fifth place, they were battling with Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood, Kershaw and Charlwood were in front at the beginning of the race but the Christie brothers managed to get past, and they made it stick. This left Kershaw and Charlwood out on their own, but Bennie Streuer and Kevin Kolsch were catching and with four laps to go they passed to take sixth place with Kershaw and Charlwood seventh.

Leglise and Cescutti had a good battle with Archer and Christie at the beginning but they managed to pass and they made this stick for eighth place with Archer and Christie ninth.

Fretay and Fenoy Casas were having a good battle with Le Bail and Leveau, but again when they passed, Le Bail and Leveau had no answer after this. Tenth and Eleventh place for these two teams.

Cable and Richardson just could not get going today; they would finish a lap down in twelth place, with Leguen and Darras in thirteenth.

The 17 lap race will start tomorrow at 15.05 local time. Let’s hope the weather will be kind for the teams.

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Race two

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Congratulations Sam and Tom on the win

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Congratulations Todd and Emmanuelle

World Champions 2023

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Your 2023 World Sidecar Champions

Ellis/Clement

Now two times World Champions

Photo credit Mark Walters

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Photo Mark Walters

2023 FIM Sidecar Champions.

First Place, Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement.

Second Place, Ben and Tom Birchall.

Third Place, Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood

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Final standings

For the full list

https://results.bike-promotion.com/Resu ... idecar.pdf