Two major accidents, such as that of the Crowe brothers and that of María Costello, who is still recovering from her injuries, caused the Isle of Man TT organization to eliminate the category from the 2026 edition. From that moment on, it was left up in the air to know if the sides would one day return to the island’s roads.
Before making a decision, an investigation was carried out after which they have submitted a report. Obviously it is not a definitive report and, in fact, one of the interesting things is that after listening to pilots, members of the organization and technical staff, plans for the future of the category have begun to be drawn up.
The report on the situation of sidecars in the Isle of Man TT has left interesting conclusions
A total of 21 pages that in turn link to different points analyzed in greater depth and that determine that sidecars as a category could continue on the poster although making different decisions to increase safety.
It would be a first package of measures that would evolve in coming seasons and in which more measures will be taken. The first, those that will come into force by 2027, have been called “Phase One” and in summary seek to reduce the general performance of the sidecars, increase stability and increase controls.
The measures approved in this Phase One are the following:
- Significant reduction in engine performance and maximum speed
- More tightly controlled engine specification, using a control ECU, restrictor, rev limiter or equivalent mechanism
- Development controls where necessary to enforce the speed target
- Minimum weight and other simple stability measures
- Basic body and dimension checks, including better access for marshals and medical staff
- Maintaining and reinforcing effective fluid containment requirements
- Chassis inspection, repair certification and a documented technical history
- Enhanced technical verification, verification and compliance procedures
- Stronger classification standards, recent activity, doctors and professionals
All these measures, focused on increasing safety, make it clear that the intention to improve safety at the Isle of Man TT is not just talk, but there is a plan behind it. Obviously seeing the Crowe brothers fly was a clear sign that the current sidecars were not compatible with the race on the island, so the new decisions open the door for us to have many more years of sides on the track.
