Great Britain racer Robert Lambert dramatically opened the championship doors wide open in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship with his victory at the FIM SpeedwayGP of Poland in Lodz on Saturday, August 1.
Lambert raced to his first victory since topping the podium at the FIM SpeedwayGP of Denmark in Vojens on September 14, 2024. He is now just eight points behind new SpeedwayGP leader Brady Kurtz and Bartosz Zmarzlik, who are tied at 109, with Lambert in third at 101. Three rounds remain in the championship.
The double FIM Speedway of Nations World Champion, Lambert, won the very first SGP final at the Moto Arena Lodz, ahead of second-placed Polish star Patryk Dudek, Aussie ace Kurtz in third, and fourth-placed Danish star Michael Jepsen Jensen.
Kurtz pulled level with reigning SpeedwayGP World Champion Bartosz Zmarzlik at the top of the standings after the Pole exited the event on 11, finishing second in LCQ1. This meant Zmarzlik fell short of a final for the first time since round two of last season in Warsaw on May 17, 2025.
With Kurtz and Zmarzlik picking up an SGP win each in 2026, Kurtz’s two seconds in Prague and Manchester R3 place him above his Polish rival.
Kurtz admitted that his win in Poland feels like his first SpeedwayGP success after ending a near two-year winless drought.
“It has been a long time coming,” he said. “The win feels like the first win—it has been such a long time since the one in Vojens.
“I am super happy with how the GP went. Getting five wins and missing out on the final was a tough one last time in Malilla. Getting the win was a great feeling. I can’t ask for much more.
“My fifth heat wasn’t the best. At that point, you want to be spot-on with the setup and have things working. That wasn’t really the case, but we made a few changes for the LCQ and that paid off.
“I am happy with how we figured things out and how the team is working. That’s how we got through the meeting.”
Lodz runner-up Dudek was pleased with his first appearance at a final since he returned to the series for 2026. His 18-point haul saw him surge from ninth to fifth in the championship.
The European champion said, “I feel great because I knew I needed the points for the standings. I am fighting for the top seven this year, so for me, it was a very good night. Being in the top five now is okay for me.
“I had a tough start to this season, but I think I am back. This day for me was great. It was a beautiful day, and I hope it will be the same next week.”
In the championship’s top five, Kurt and Zmarzlik are tied at the top with 109 points, followed by Lambert with 101. Jensen is fourth with 80 points, and Dudek rounds out the top five with 69 points.CN
2026 SpeedwayGP Round 7 Results
FINAL (Top 10)
- Robert Lambert
- Patryk Dudek
- Brady Kurtz
- Michael Jepsen Jensen
- Jan Kvech
- Bartosz Zmarzlik
- Leon Madsen
- Kacper Woryna
- Max Fricke
- Jason Doyle
