Oschersleben, FP: Werkstetter/Pirat rollover, co-driver in hospital

Ahead of the first free practice session for the Sidecar World Championship, the marshals had their hands full because a vintage sidecar had left a thick oil slick around the 3.667-kilometre circuit. The World Championship teams, who then set about their first free practice session, had to exercise particular caution, as the track surface was, to make matters worse, also damp.

Patrick Werkstetter and Valentin Pirat from Team Sattler Motorsport/Bonovo Action had quickly found a good rhythm, but on their fourth lap the pair rolled over at the end of the start-finish straight after spinning out just before it. Whilst the passenger was thrown from the sidecar, the German rider landed on his back beneath the sidecar.

After a few anxious seconds, Werkstetter managed to free himself and Pirat was also quickly back on his feet. At first glance, everything seemed to have ended relatively well, even though ‘Werke’ complained of slight pain in his shoulder. However, the officials did not want to take any risks and decided to have Pirat examined at hospital to rule out a head injury.

Thomas Hofer übernimmt kurzfristig die Position von Valentin Pirat

Foto: Helmut Ohner

As the Frenchman was not back in the paddock in time for the second free practice session, the Swiss rider Thomas Hofer – whose rider Markus Venus had to withdraw his entry for the World Championship final at short notice – agreed to step in as a replacement, as it was essential to test whether the sidecar combination was back in working order ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying session.

In the end, team boss Josef Sattler and the entire team were able to breathe a sigh of relief. Not only had the damage to the sidecar been repaired, but the concerns about the passenger also proved to be unfounded. The German-French duo, who have a good chance of finishing the World Championship in the top 10, will be back on the track together on Saturday.

World Championship standings after 10 of 12 races