Assen, Qualifying: Payne ahead of Päivärinta, Schlosser only in 16th place

Qualifying for the Sidecar World Championship got underway at the Assen circuit on a wet track, with air temperatures of just 18 degrees and track temperatures of 19 degrees. For a long time, Lewis Blackstock and Oscar Lawrence (DHR/DAO Racing) set the pace. Pekka Päivärinta and Adam Christie (Hänni Racing) topped the timesheets for only a short while, before the British pair retook the lead.

As the session progressed, the track dried out, at least on the racing line, and the teams were able to switch from wet tyres to slicks. Six minutes before the end of the session, Ted and Vincent Peugeot were in pole position, at least temporarily, but Päivärinta and Christie snatched the fastest time from the French duo with a lap of 1:46.489 minutes.

In the decisive phase, Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau (Steinhausen Racing), who had already dominated free practice, also joined the battle for the best starting position. The Briton and his French co-driver were able to respond time and again whenever Päivärinta improved his time. In the end, the World Championship leaders edged out their nearest challenger.

By securing third on the grid, Peugeot/Peugeot underlined that their second place in the second race at Cremona was no fluke. They even left the reigning world champions, Sam and Tom Christie (CES Performance), behind them. Behind Blackstock/Lawrence and Bennie Streuer/Manon Vissenberg, Patrick Werkstetter/Valentin Pirat (Sattler Motorsport/Bonovo Action) will start the races from seventh on the grid.

Robert Biggs/Ferry Segers, Tim Reeves/Luca Schmidt (Carl Cox Motorsport) and Thomas Eder/Kevin Kölsch round off the top 10 on the starting grid. Qualifying proved disappointing for Markus Schlosser and Lucas Krieg (Gustoil Sidecar Racing), who finished in 16th place, just behind Markus Venus and Thomas Hofer (ITW Racing).

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Assen, Qualifying, 19 September 2026