Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau, 2024 World Champions.

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Credit – Mark BigWally Walters

The last round of the 2024 FIM Sidecar World Championship once again took place at the circuit of Estoril in Portugal.

Only seven points separated the two top teams of Schlosser/Schmidt, & local racer Harry Payne with his French passenger Kevin Rousseau. The teams have been neck and neck throughout the 2024 season and it all came down to a last round fight for the title.

Harry and Kevin with Sidecar Legend Rolf Steinhausen – photo by Mark Walters

It was to be Harry & Kevin who drew first blood by topping the practise and qualifying leaderboards.
Starting from pole position, the Steinhausen racing duo of Payne/Rousseau took the honours on the 10 lap sprint race, reducing the championship deficit to just 2 points with one race to go.

With everything on the line in a winner takes all scenario, the race got underway. It was a duel all race long with the two teams swapping places multiple times. It all came down to a last lap drag race to the line with Harry & Kevin taking the victory by 0.053 seconds, and in turn won the 2024 ‘FIM Sidecar World Championship’ by just 3 points!

It’s been a long road to the top for Harry, who starting competing in motorcycle trials at the age of 10. He went on to race classic Sidecar Motocross as a passenger from the age of 18, and moved into road racing at the age of 23. Harry worked his way up the ladder winning international level events as a Sidecar passenger. He then began driving sidecars full time just 4 years ago, in the midst of Covid time. Winning the ‘Isle of Man Centre Sidecar Championship’ in 2020, the ‘FSRA British F2 Cup’ in 2021, and now the ‘FIM Sidecar World Championship’!

You can find out more on their social media: @team45racing