A thrilling afternoon of racing unfolded in the picturesque town of Augsburg-Haunstetten, in southern Germany, where an enthusiastic crowd of over 2,500 spectators witnessed the climax of the 2025 European Sidecar Championship after the qualifying round in France.
With 12 sidecar teams representing six European federations, the event promised high tension and close racing, and it delivered from start to finish.
The qualifying heats were packed with wheel-to-wheel action, as favourites Markus Venus/Markus Eibl (Germany) and Mitch Godden/Paul Smith (Great Britain) quickly established themselves as front-runners. They were closely pursued by Rémi Valladon/Ewen Guilbaud (France) and the German pairing of Raphael San Millan/Benedikt Zapf.
Local hopes were high for Markus Brandhofer/Sandra Mollema, who fought hard to recover points, only to suffer heartbreak with a retirement in their final qualifying heat. Once the heats concluded, the top 10 teams advanced to the three Finals, with the top two finishers in the B Final earning a spot in the A Final.
The A Final line-up promised fireworks, featuring Venus/Eibl, Godden/Smith, and French crews Guillaume/Baptiste Comblon and Valladon/Guilbaud. The atmosphere was electric as the tapes rose, but twice the race had to be stopped when the four outfits clashed aggressively in the first corner. On the third attempt, however, Venus and Eibl launched perfectly and never looked back.
The German duo controlled the race from start to finish, chased hard by a determined Godden and Smith, who pushed all the way in search of gold. Ultimately, the home heroes crossed the line to rapturous cheers, celebrating their coronation as 2025 European Champions.
Final Classification, top three
1st Markus Venus / Markus Eibl, GER
2nd Mitch Godden / Paul Smith, GBR
3rd Guillaume Comblon / Baptiste Comblon, FRA
Words and Images by FIM Europe
