2023 FIM SIDECAR WORLD CHAMPIONS
ELLIS AGAIN!
With France’s Emmanuelle Clement once again ensuring their outfit’s third wheel stuck firmly to the track, Todd Ellis – Yamaha from Great Britain maintained his status as FIM Sidecar Rider World Champion following a hard-fought 2023 season.
British riders have enjoyed considerable success in the championship since it was first introduced in 1949 with thirty-four title successes, but Ellis had to fight every step of the way this season to retain the crown he won last year with his incredible consistency proving to be the key factor.
His campaign did not get off to a great start when he ran three-four at the opening round in May at Germany’s Sachsenring, although he would go on to achieve at least one race podium at all seven rounds which provided the solid foundations required for his second title.
Victory in the opening race of round two at the fabled Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium was backed up by second in race two and there were more wins to come at rounds three and four at Most in the Czech Republic and Austria’s Red Bull Ring.
The pivotal moment came in mid-August at Assen in the Netherlands where he won both races and a pair of second-placed finishes – despite suffering with a virus that also affected Clement – at the start of October at Oschersleben in Germany ensured as he headed into Estoril in Portugal for the final round, he had a twenty-two-point advantage over his rivals.
With tensions mounting and heavy rain early in the weekend threatening a repeat of last year’s very wet season decider, track conditions finally dried out and two third-placed finishes were good enough for Ellis to make it two FIM World Championship titles in two years.
PALMARES
FIM Sidecar Rider World Champion: 2022, 2023
MAKING HISTORY!
Fast, female and totally fearless, Emmanuelle Clement ensured her place in motorsport history when she successfully defended her FIM Sidecar Passenger World Championship title this season.
While she may not be the first female passenger to achieve the accolade – that was Finland’s Kirsi Kainulainen in 2016 – Clement is the first woman to claim two titles and to win them back-to-back with Todd Ellis as rider sets her apart.
It has been a tough season in the chair and Clement has had to fight hard at every round to retain her title, though by being on the podium at least once at all seven rounds proves her tenacity and undeniable talent.
Last year she led from the opening round, but this time around she had to come from behind after recording third and fourth-placed finishes at the series opener in Germany. Backing this up with a one-two at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, the Clement/Ellis partnership then won races at Most in the Czech Republic and the Red Bull Ring in Austria before they scored a decisive double victory at Assen in the Netherlands in mid-August.
With her rivals still threatening to derail her plans of becoming a two-time FIM World Champion, Clement fought off a virus to take a pair of second-placed finishes at Oschersleben in Germany which gave her a twenty-two-point lead heading into the series decider at Estoril in Portugal at the end of October.
Battling against tough track conditions in the sprint race with wet patches making the track treacherous in places, Clement came home in third and a repeat performance the following day was good enough for her to write her name in the history books as a two-time queen of the sidecar.
PALMARES
FIM Sidecar Passenger World Champion: 2022, 2023
2022 FIM SIDECAR WORLD CHAMPIONS
HOT TODDY!
Great Britain has enjoyed a long and successful history in the FIM Sidecar World Championship, and this record was extended when Todd Ellis – Yamaha steered his outfit to the 2022 crown.
Since the championship’s inception in 1949, British riders have now achieved the ultimate accolade on thirty-three occasions with Ellis the latest to make his mark after finishing second in 2021.
With Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Clement providing highly skilled ballast, the team dominated the series from the first round at Le Mans in the middle of April.
Ellis kicked off his campaign in great form in northern France, racing to an early championship lead with a race-one win backed up with a solid second in race two.
Just one week later at Assen in Holland the pair were again in control, this time reversing their French finishes with a two-one scorecard putting them on the top step of the podium.
Following a month’s break Ellis came out fighting at the beginning of June at the World-famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit and hammered home his advantage with a double win in Belgium.
Extending his lead at Hungary’s Pannoniaring in the middle of June with another one-two, Ellis then suffered his first set-back.
After winning the opening race at Rijeka in Croatia by over two seconds, mechanical problems resulted in a no-score in the second leg although his lead was still sixteen points despite this disappointment.
If his rivals sensed weakness they were quickly put in their place after he ran one-two on home turf at Donington Park in the middle of July before nailing another devastating double, this time at the penultimate round in Germany at the start of October.
Heavy rain at Estoril at the end of October did not deter him and Ellis made sure of the crown with two-three finishes at the final round.
PALMARES
FIM Sidecar Rider World Champion: 2022
LEADING LADY!
Only the second female ever to be crowned FIM Sidecar Passenger World Champion, this year flying Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Clémentfollowed in the footsteps of fast Finn Kirsi Kainulainen who claimed her title in 2016.
With British rider Todd Ellis twisting the throttle, Clément’s skills in the sidecar kept their outfit’s third wheel firmly anchored and after finishing second last season they went one better in 2022.
With Clément on home ground at the legendary Le Mans in northern France, their championship campaign got off to a great start at the Circuit Bugatti with victory in the opening race of the season.
Backing this up with a strong second in race two, the pairing took the championship lead to Assen one week later where they again ended the day on the top step of the podium courtesy of two-one finishes to extend their advantage in the points standings.
Even better was to come and at the start of June there was double delight at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium where the dream team dominated before scoring another one-two at Hungary’s Pannoniaring two weeks later.
With a commanding lead heading into the second half of the season, victory in the opening race at Rijeka in Croatia was followed by mechanical issues that saw them fail to finish, but despite this their lead was still sixteen points.
Next up was Donington Park in Britain in the middle of July where they won the first race and backed it up with a second in race two and they then hammered home their superiority with a double win in Germany.
At the final round at Estoril in Portugal at the end of October, Clément was crowned as the World’s best passenger with two-three finishes easily good enough to claim the crown.
PALMARES
FIM Sidecar Passenger World Champion: 2022