Team boss Josef Sattler: “In the wet, I reckon Patrick is capable of a top-three result”

Ironically, it was at their home race in Oschersleben last year that Patrick Werkstetter and Valentin Pirat (Sattler Motorsport/Bonovo Action) achieved their best results of the entire season. In the sprint race, which was held in wet conditions, they finished fourth, ahead even of the eventual world champions Sam and Tom Christie. They also crossed the finish line in fourth place in the main race, which put them in sixth place in the overall standings.

It’s no wonder that, following this performance, the team had their sights set on greater things, but a skiing accident in which Werkstetter sustained a serious knee injury dashed their hopes. It wasn’t until Cremona that the German-French duo were able to rejoin the battle for World Championship points. A sixth-place finish in the first race marked a respectable return. At Assen, following fierce wheel-to-wheel duels with Bennie Streuer and Manon Vissenberg, they finished fourth and seventh.

“Extending the chassis by a few centimetres has made a positive difference,” says team boss Josef Sattler, delighted with the successful modification to the ARS Yamaha. “The lads are really on form now. It’s a shame we were forced to retire from the main race in Cremona due to a broken chain to the oil pump, which resulted in engine failure. We’ve used this setback as an opportunity to shorten our servicing times.”

As they don’t want to leave anything to chance, the sidecar was put through its paces once again before the Sidecar Festival. “If things go reasonably well in Oschersleben, Patrick and Valentin should still finish in the top 10 of the World Championship. If it rains, as it did last year, I reckon they could even secure a place in the top three. In dry conditions, however, we’d have to hope for some retirements to achieve such a result.”

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