Victory in the 2026 FIM Sidecar World Championship would complete a hat-trick of titles for Todd Ellis (ARS Yamaha) and Emmanuelle Clément and after admitting to struggling over the previous two seasons, the British/French pairing are already pushing for podiums this year.
A fighting fourth overall at the opening round at Le Mans in April was a solid start and the pairing – champions in 2022 and 2023 – head to round two at Grobnik-Rijeka in Croatia this coming weekend (8-10 May) with a growing momentum they aim to build upon in their quest to strike FIM gold for the third time when the six-round series concludes in early October.
However, thirty-two-year-old Ellis and his twenty-nine-year-old passenger are taking a remarkably relaxed approach to a championship that is renowned for being fiercely fought and hugely competitive.
“Over the last couple of seasons we have struggled a bit with the new tyres, but it is starting to feel like my old bike again,” said Ellis. “We don't really set any goals, the aim is to just go out there and see how we get on and enjoy it. The results seem to follow then – everyone here is a racer and we enjoy it when we are winning.
“We came away from Le Mans reasonably happy. At the moment we are just focussed on the feel and lap times. The results will follow from that and we are in a better position after Le Mans than we were last year. The paddock is the most competitive it has been for a long time.”
Ellis grew up around racing and some of his earliest memories involve riding his bicycle in the paddock at Cadwell Park, one of Britain’s most iconic circuits. He quickly graduated to a Yamaha PW50 before perfecting his gear changes on a Yamaha TY80, complete with a homemade sidecar.
“Sidecars are definitely a family thing and it's uncommon for someone to come into it without already having a family tie. I first started racing karts when I was twelve, then dabbled at solos which I quite enjoyed and did okay at, but came to the stage where I wanted to do something different. After breaking my pelvis, I ended up buying a sidecar in the winter and me and Charlie Richardson did the next year for a bit of fun and stress-free racing and ended up winning a British championship.”
After joining forces with Clément, the pair made an immediate impact on the FIM Sidecar World Championship when they finished second in 2021 before dominating the series for the next two seasons.
“As much as we joke around and like to blame each other, it’s important to recognise that a rider needs a passenger and a passenger needs a rider. You need to think the same thing at the same time and I’m lucky I have this with Manu and we trust each other on and off the track.”
A fan of Irish legend Joey Dunlop since childhood, Ellis’ passion for racing in general – and sidecars in particular – is impossible to hide.
“A bad day’s racing is still better than a good day at work. I don't think I can pinpoint the best thing about sidecar racing, but in general it is such a different paddock to the solo world. Mostly, everyone seems to get on with each other and help each other out. I want to beat someone out on the track – not in the paddock – so if anyone needs help or to borrow something they can just ask.”
The opening eleven-lap Sprint race from the Automotodrom Grobnik is scheduled to start at 12:40 (local time) on Saturday 9 May before the eighteen-lap Main race gets under way the following day at 11:55 (local time). To access the live timings, click here.
Selected rounds of the 2026 FIM Sidecar World Championship will be streamed LIVE on FIM-MOTO.TV. For more information click here.