Identification rules changed after fatal TT sidecar crash, inquest hears

Cesar Chanal and Olivier Lavorel were involved in the crash on Quaterbridege Road

New safety and identification rules have been introduced for Isle of Man TT sidecar racers after a fatal crash at the 2022 event, an inquest has heard.

French sidecar driver Cesar Chanal was fatally injured in the incident on Quarterbridge Road on 4 June.

He was mistaken for his passenger Olivier Lavorel, who died later, after the pair had swapped dog tags.

Clerk of the course for the event Gary Thompson said identification rules had been overhauled as a result.

The inquest into the death of 33-year-old Cesar Chanal had previously heard that he and Mr Lavorel crashed near an area of the course known as Ago's Leap on lap one of the first TT sidecar race.

Mr Chanal had his passenger's identification tag in his pocket, which caused a mistake in the identification of the two men, who were newcomers to the Isle of Man TT.

While Mr Chanal was killed instantly in the incident, Mr Lavorel died from his injuries in October in France.

Overhaul of checks

Giving evidence at Douglas Courthouse, Mr Thompson said all sidecar riders would be required to wear elasticated identification armbands at the 2023 event and have their names sewn into the inside of their leathers.

Race officials will conduct spot checks at the assembly area at the TT Grandstand, and any competitors without the correct identification will be barred from racing, he added.

The French sidecar racers had passed identification checks during inspections of their leathers before practice week, but under previous rules checks were not repeated before individual races, the court was told.

Mr Thompson said a pre-event inspection of all sidecar machines would also now be held before the TT begins, on top of existing pre-race checks.

The court heard no defects were found with the riders' machine when examined before the race, and although heavily damaged, a post-incident inspection found no issues that would have caused or contributed to the crash.

Eyewitnesses had heard a loud bang, which some said sounded like an engine issue, before the pair crashed.

Parts of Quarterbridge Road near Ago's Leap had been resurfaced prior to the 2023 races, the court was told.

Dave Molyneux, a 17-time TT sidecar race winner who assists newcomers around the course, said competitors had raised no concerns about the changes, with many stating it had made the surface smoother.

Mr Thompson said the area had been checked and rider feedback had suggested it was "the best it had been in many years after the resurfacing".

The inquest is due to continue at Douglas Courthouse on Friday.