Zmarzlik Wins Sixth Speedway GP World Title

Bartosz Zmarzlik has won his sixth FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship in Vojens. He held his nerve in what he called the toughest race of his career. The Polish rider now stands level with Ivan Mauger and Tony Rickardsson at the top of the sport.

Second place by one point was all he needed

Zmarzlik and his Australian rival Brady Kurtz both reached the final. That set up a four-lap race for the title. Kurtz won the heat, but Zmarzlik took the second place he needed.

He kept the crown by just 1 point. The win came at Denmark's Vojens Speedway Center on the night the track marked its 50th year of racing. Polish fans sang their anthem in the stands, and Rickardsson handed Zmarzlik the trophy.

Four straight titles, a first in the sport's history

With this crown, Zmarzlik became the first rider ever to win four Speedway GP titles in a row. He won in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2026, on top of his 2019 and 2020 wins. His record now shows 29 Grand Prix wins from 107 starts.

Kurtz took silver and made his own piece of history. He became the first rider in the series' 30-year run to win five rounds in a row. Britain's Dan Bewley claimed a first bronze, and Danish wild card Michael Jepsen Jensen came third.

"When I was second, I had to tell my head to stay calm because I felt like it was spinning on the bike," Zmarzlik told reporters afterwards. "Now I am 30 years old, I have six world titles, and this is unbelievable for me."

In August he won the Riga round and took back the lead in the standings. From there to this last race, the season turned on the smallest margins. At 30, Zmarzlik has joined the sport's rarest club, with room still to move beyond it.