Sidecar World Championship Assen: The battle for the world title starts from scratch

Eight of the twelve races in the 2026 Sidecar World Championship have been completed. Up until the second round at the ‘Angelo Bergamonti’ Circuit in Cremona, it looked as though Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau were set to run away with the title. The British-French duo from Team Steinhausen had won five out of seven races up to that point, but a mechanical failure has ensured that the battle for the world title is set to become exciting once again.

When 23 teams meet for the penultimate round of the British Superbike Championship this coming weekend at the 4.542-kilometre TT Circuit in Assen, the top two are separated by just 15.5 points. It’s also a tight race further down the field. Fans can look forward to two thrilling races on Sunday – the ten-lap sprint starts at 11.00 am and the 16-lap main race begins at 4.50 pm.

If Payne/Rousseau, who lead the standings on 152.5 points, are to become world champions for the second time since 2024, they cannot afford any further retirements, as the Rijeka dominators Pekka Päivärinta/Adam Christie (Hänni Racing) have so far accumulated just four points fewer, whilst the defending champions and Cremona winners, Sam and Tom Christie (CES Performance), are also hot on their heels in the points standings.

For the fourth-placed pair in the championship, Markus Schlosser and Lucas Krieg (Gustoil Sidecar Racing), the title is already out of reach. For the Swiss rider, who is no stranger to success and is currently in the process of relocating from his home country to Germany, the main priority is to get back on the winning track. With five fourth-place finishes, the season has not gone to the 2021 world champion’s liking so far.

Bennie Streuer: Gelingt beim Heimrennen in Assen ein Top-Ergebnis?

Foto: Helmut Ohner

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At their home race, a strong performance is expected from Bennie Streuer – who lives not far from the circuit – and his passenger Manon Vissenberg. The German-French team of Patrick Werkstetter and Valentin Pirat (Sattler Motorsport Bonovo Action) and the German pairing of Thomas Eder and Kevin Kölsch will also leave no stone unturned in their bid to build on their excellent results from Cremona.

No start for double world champions Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clément

Two teams from the top 10 will be missing from the event at the ‘Cathedral of Speed’. In their crash at Pau Arnos, the sidecar of the two-time champions Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clément was severely damaged. The British-French pairing, who currently sit sixth in the World Championship standings behind Ted and Vincent Peugeot, have consequently decided to withdraw from the World Championship.

Whilst Paul Leglise and Marjorie Cescutti, who are ninth in the World Championship, have also not entered the round in the Netherlands, Germany’s Markus Venus and his Swiss passenger Thomas Hofer (ITW Racing) will be looking to defend their eighth place against Tim Reeves/Melane Farnier (Carl Cox Motorsport) and Paul Kirby/Ema Salmon (Carl Cox Motorsport KRT), both of whom had to withdraw from the Cremona round.

Provisional schedule for Assen

World Championship standings after 8 of 12 races