The 2024 Speedway Grand Prix season was the 30th season of the Speedway Grand Prix era, and decided the 79th FIM Speedway World Championship.[1] It was the third series promoted by Discovery Sports Events. A new sprint race was introduced at selected Grand Prix during the qualifying session, with the fastest rider in each qualifying session progressing to a single race for extra points. The idea behind the sprint race was similar to that brought into the Formula One, whereby the qualifying sessions were given more importance.[2]
| 2024 Speedway Grand Prix | |
|---|---|
| Season details | |
| Dates | 27 April – 28 September |
| Events | 11 |
| Cities | 11 |
| Countries | 8 |
| Riders | 15 permanents 1 wild card(s) 2 track reserves |
| Heats | 253 (in 11 events) |
| Winners | |
| Champion |  POL Bartosz Zmarzlik |
| Runner-up |  GBR Robert Lambert |
| 3rd place |  SWE Fredrik Lindgren |
Bartosz Zmarzlik successfully defended the title, which was his third in a row and a fifth overall. Robert Lambert took second place with Fredrik Lindgren in third.
Summary
editJack Holder won the opening round, which was the first Grand Prix win of his career.[3] After Jason Doyle won round two, Mikkel Michelsen won his maiden Grand Prix by claiming the German Grand Prix.[4] Doyle was later ruled out for four months after suffering a torn rotator cuff and tendon damage after a crash at Ipswich, ending his hopes of a second world title.[5]
By winning the 2024 Speedway Grand Prix of Sweden, Zmarzlik broke Jason Crump's all-time record of 23 Grand Prix wins, although ten of them were won on home soil, whereas Crump's were all outside of Australia.[6]
Qualification
editFor the 2024 season there were 15 permanent riders, who were joined at each Grand Prix by one wild card and two track reserves. The top six riders from the 2023 championship qualified automatically. These riders were joined by the three riders who qualified via the Grand Prix Challenge and the 2023 Speedway European Championship winner. The final five riders were nominated by the SGP Commission.[1]
Qualified riders
edit| # | Riders | 2023 place | GP Ch place | Permanent rider appearance | Previous appearances in series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | Bartosz Zmarzlik |
1 | — | 9th | 2012–2015, 2016–2023 |
| 66 | Fredrik Lindgren |
2 | — | 15th | 2004, 2006–2007, 2008–2014, 2016, 2017–2023 |
| 54 |  Martin Vaculík |
3 | 2 | 9th | 2012, 2013, 2017–2023 |
| 25 |  Jack Holder |
4 | — | 3rd | 2016, 2020, 2022–2023 |
| 30 |  Leon Madsen |
5 | — | 6th | 2010, 2013, 2019–2023 |
| 505 | Robert Lambert |
6 | 4 | 4th | 2015, 2018–2019, 2021–2023 |
| 99 | Dan Bewley |
7 | — | 3rd | 2018, 2022–2023 |
| 69 | Jason Doyle |
8 | 1 | 10th | 2015–2023 |
| 108 | Tai Woffinden |
11 | — | 13th | 2010, 2011, 2013–2023 |
| 155 | Mikkel Michelsen |
12 | — | 4th | 2015, 2018–2019, 2020, 2021, 2022–2023 |
| 29 |  Andžejs Ļebedevs |
16 | 7 | 1st | 2013–2014, 2022–2023 |
| 744 |  Kai Huckenbeck |
17 | — | 1st | 2017–2019, 2022–2023 |
| 415 | Dominik Kubera |
=21 | — | 1st | 2021, 2023 |
| 48 | Szymon Woźniak |
=26 | 3 | 1st | 2018, 2022–2023 |
| 201 |  Jan Kvěch |
=31 | 5 | 1st | 2020–2023 |
Qualified substitutes
editThe following riders were nominated as substitutes:
| # | Riders | 2023 place | GP Ch place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Max Fricke |
9 | — |
| 71 | Maciej Janowski |
14 | — |
| 233 | Kim Nilsson |
13 | — |
| 67 | Rasmus Jensen |
=19 | — |
| 22 |  Luke Becker |
=24 | 8 |
| 96 |  Dimitri Bergé |
— | 10 |
| 842 | Mateusz Cierniak |
— | — |
Calendar
editThe 2024 season consisted of 11 events.[7]
Final classification
edit| Qualifies for next season's Grand Prix series |
| Full-time Grand Prix rider |
| Wild card, track reserve or qualified reserve |
| Pos. | Rider | Points | CRO  |
POL |
GER |
CZE |
SWE |
PL2 |
GBR |
PL3 |
LAT |
DEN |
PL4
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
(95) Bartosz Zmarzlik (C)
|
179 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 18 | 20 |
|
(505) Robert Lambert
|
144 | 12 | 17 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 3 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 20 | 7 |
|
(66) Fredrik Lindgren
|
141 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 3 | 14 |
| 4 | (99) Dan Bewley
|
127 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 24 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 16 |
| 5 | (54) Martin Vaculík
|
122 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 20 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 7 | 12 | 8 |
| 6 | (25) Jack Holder
|
106 | 20 | 12 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 7 | (155) Mikkel Michelsen
|
101 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 0 | – | – |
| 8 | (415) Dominik Kubera
|
98 | 9 | 2 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| 9 | (30) Leon Madsen
|
94 | 10 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 9 | – | 18 |
| 10 | (29) Andžejs Ļebedevs
|
79 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 10 | – | 11 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 4 |
| 11 | (46) Max Fricke
|
69 | – | – | – | 10 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 8 | 5 |
| 12 | (744) Kai Huckenbeck
|
61 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| 13 | (48) Szymon Woźniak
|
58 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 14 | (71) Maciej Janowski
|
52 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 6 |
| 15 | (201) Jan Kvěch
|
52 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| 16 | (69) Jason Doyle
|
47 | 18 | 20 | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 17 | (16) Patryk Dudek
|
24 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 12 | – | – | 12 |
| 18 | (108) Tai Woffinden
|
23 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 19 | (67) Rasmus Jensen
|
9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 9 | – |
| 20 | (233) Kim Nilsson
|
8 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 6 | 1 |
| 21 | (16) Anders Thomsen
|
7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 7 | – |
| 22 | (16) Oskar Fajfer
|
6 | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 23 | (16) Václav Milík
|
4 | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 24 | (16) Tom Brennan
|
4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| 25 | (16) Mateusz Cierniak
|
3 | – | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 26 | (16) Daniils Kolodinskis
|
3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | – |
| 27 |  (16) Matej Žagar
|
2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 28 | (16) Norick Blödorn
|
2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 29 | (17) Francis Gusts
|
1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| 30 | (17) Bartłomiej Kowalski
|
0 | – | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 31 | (17) Martin Smolinski
|
0 | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 32 | (18) Erik Riss
|
0 | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 33 | (17) Jakub Miśkowiak
|
0 | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 34 | (18) Oskar Paluch
|
0 | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 35 | (18) Ričards Ansviesulis
|
0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0 | – | – |
| Pos. | Rider | Points | CRO |
POL |
GER |
CZE |
SWE |
PL2 |
GBR |
PL3 |
LAT |
DEN |
PL4
|
References
edit- ^ a b "Nine nations represented as 2024 Speedway GP line-up is confirmed". FIM Europe. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ^ "Holder eyes sprint finish in Warsaw". FIM. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "FIM Speedway Grand Prix: Jack Holder opens season with thrilling maiden victory in Croatia". Eurosport. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ "Landshut winner: I've got my mojo back". FIM Speedway. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "Doyle set for four to six months on sidelines". FIM Speedway. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ^ "Bartosz Zmarzlik breaks all-time Speedway GP win record With Malilla victory". FIM Speedway. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ "2024 Speedway Grand Prix calendar". FIM. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ "Vaculik wygrał Grand Prix we Wrocławiu. Polacy odpadli w półfinałach". Radio Wrocław. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Zmarzlik Triumphs at Toruń Grand Prix, Secures Fifth World Title". poland Daily 24. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
- ^ "2024 FIM Speedway World Championship standings". SGP.