Just three weeks after the 2024 Grand Prix season fell silent comes the exciting news that triple world champion Marvin Vanluchene will once again defend his crown with his former title-winning passenger Nicolas Musset.
The “musical chairs “season is almost as unpredictable as the actual racing, with emotion playing a big part in decisions, along with the hard work of finding funding for yet another year.
We know that most, if not all the teams who embark on the journey pursuing this sport they love, are hobby racers and not professional riders like many in other disciplines of motorcycle racing. This makes the enjoyment and elation of success even more addictive, to the point where having made the decision to retire, second thoughts creep in, and after a few months off, the only memories are happy ones.
We see this time and time again, and thankfully this trend keeps many top names in the paddock where otherwise they might be lost to us.
To have the reigning champion defend his title against a growing level of competition and new talent is a fascinating prospect and I for one relish what lies ahead,
Stalwarts Sven Wisselink and Niki Debruyne return to continue their progress up the rankings and must be aiming for a top ten finish this time around. Sixteenth in 2024, the pair were as consistent, and as well turned out as ever. It will be very interesting to see if this partnership can grow still further and get them even closer to where they want to be.
Davy Sanders has announced his return after a successful 2024 in which he recovered late in the season to retain his number nine plate. He is teaming up with Jens Vincent on a permanent basis, whilst also staying faithful to the Mega RS engine with which he enjoys factory support. These power units have proved themselves to be both fast and strong in a variety of hands, not least of all world number two Daniels and Bruno Lielbardis.
The latest Mega exponent at the very end of the 2024 season was Koen Hermans who, along with the vastly experienced and knowledgeable Ben van den Bogaart, switched back to two-stroke power after several seasons with the four-stroke. Following some speculation as to Ben’s continued involvement, Hermans must be thrilled to know he has once again secured the services of the four-times champion passenger for at least the new season.
The pair have been very fast together, and now with a different engine and brand-new chassis, must feel they have unfinished business and a renewed chance of title success. This is great news for the series, and adds still more fuel to the fire of what is building to be another cracking year ahead.
The rest of the rumour mill is as strong as ever, but we can only issue fact and not speculation. One thing is for sure, that young talented Briton Dan Foden must find a competent and capable left-hand sidecar passenger if he is to sustain a full season and deliver his potential. To lose a driver of his quality would be a huge loss to the sport and specifically British hopes.
We will continue to feed bulletins as the news breaks. Meanwhile, enjoy the quiet time. Christmas will come and go before we know it.
So stay with us as we continue to bring you everything as it happens here on www.fimsidecarcross.com and all our social media platforms.
From Barry Nutley.
