ZMARZLIK TAKES SPEEDWAY GP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AFTER WINNING LANDSHUT SPRINT RACE

Five-time world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik made a fine start to his bid for Speedway GP World Championship No.6 after winning the WWK FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Landshut sprint race on Saturday afternoon.

In the first-ever knockout-style Qualifying session, which saw riders face off in 60-second, head-to-head duels to set the fastest lap time, Zmarzlik defeated two of his closest friends and rivals in the sport, Martin Vaculik in Q1 and Anders Thomsen in Q2.

He then won the four-rider sprint race to claim four championship points ahead of Aussie full-time SGP debutant Brady Kurtz, who scored three in second. Great Britain’s world No.2 Robert Lambert overhauled Andzejs Lebedevs for third place to take two championship points, with the Latvian claiming one point in fourth spot.

But Zmarzlik’s session ended on a sour note after he was deemed by the FIM to have missed the two-minute deadline to line up for starting position selections, meaning he was forced to choose his number last.

This handed Kurtz first choice of starting positions after he battled past world No.3 Fredrik Lindgren in Q1 and home hero Kai Huckenbeck in Q2. Despite this being his first SGP appearance in Europe, Kurtz is already second in the Speedway GP World Championship after just one race.

But Zmarzlik leads the way on four as he commences his bid to match New Zealand great Ivan Mauger and Swedish legend Tony Rickardsson’s record haul of six FIM Speedway World Championships in 2025.

The WWK FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Landshut gets underway at 19:00 CEST.

For full Landshut Qualifying results, CLICK HERE.