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Croatia Grand Prix: Pistar and Christie Close to Leading the 2026 Sidecar World Championship
The second weekend of races at Grobnik-Rijeka saw Pekka Päivärinta and Adam Christie ignite the championship battle with their incredible performances. With these two victories, the two drivers have narrowed the gap to the series lead by just four points.
Race Details
The 2026 FIM Sidecar World Championship’s second weekend was held at the Automotodrom Grobnik. The races were held on this track for the first time since 2022, creating a challenging environment for pilots and passengers due to the hot weather conditions.
In qualifying, Harrison Payne and Kevin Rousseau led, finishing 0.156 seconds ahead of Pekka Päivärinta and Adam Christie. The LCR Yamaha team’s Sam and Thomas Christie brothers also finished in third place, with a very close margin. The three teams were almost indistinguishable.
In the sprint race, Payne/Rousseau took the lead from the first turn. The British brothers attempted to climb to second place in the final lap with risky maneuvers but were unsuccessful. Päivärinta/Christie then overtook Harrison Payne in the final lap, winning the race with a difference of approximately 4.5 seconds. The Christie brothers finished third, approximately 8 seconds later.
In the main race, the competition between Payne/Rousseau and Päivärinta/Christie continued. The two teams challenged each other throughout the race, but neither team made a decisive move. Päivärinta/Christie won the race by 0.8 seconds, with the Christie brothers 20 seconds behind.
Race Results
Race One Results:
- Pekka Päivärinta / Adam Christie (ARS Yamaha) – 26:17.452
- Harrison Payne / Kevin Rousseau (ARS Yamaha) – 26:21.928
- Sam Christie / Thomas Christie (LCR Yamaha) – 26:25.881
Race Two Results:
- Pekka Päivärinta / Adam Christie (ARS Yamaha) – 26:05.329
- Harrison Payne / Kevin Rousseau (ARS Yamaha) – 26:06.187
- Sam Christie / Thomas Christie (LCR Yamaha) – 26:15.991
Post-Race
The races led to some teams withdrawing due to mechanical issues. Markus Schlosser and Lucas Krieg overtook Ted and Vincent Peugeot at the end of the final lap. Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clément finished fourth in the final stages of the race, while Bennie Streuer and Manon Vissenberg finished sixth.
The third weekend of the series will take place on June 19-21 at the Pau-Arnos circuit in France. Live broadcasts of the races can be followed via FIM-MOTO.TV.
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