FIM Speedway Grand Prix title contender Robert Lambert is expecting an “open” battle on a revamped Bikernieki track ahead of Saturday’s DEWALT FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga.
Lambert ended his near two-year wait for an SGP win when he topped the podium at the FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Lodz last Saturday to move within eight points of World Championship top two Brady Kurtz and Bartosz Zmarzlik, who are tied on 109 at the top.
Lambert, who has 101 in third, has claimed a fantastic 59 points from a possible 64, having also finished second at the previous two rounds in Wroclaw and Malilla, as well as taking three points from the Wroclaw sprint race.
While Zmarzlik won the first two Riga SGP events in 2023 and 2024 and Kurtz triumphed on his Bikernieki debut in 2025, Lambert is expecting a great battle on Saturday – especially on an upgraded track that has been resurfaced and widened, with banking added for this year’s event.
“I think that will be open for everyone,” Lambert said. “I quite like Riga. I have had a bit of bad luck in the LCQs there, but we’ll see how it goes and hopefully put the pressure on.
"We have some good rounds coming and I’m certainly excited to get on these tracks and put on a good show.”
Lambert insists his Lodz victory doesn’t take any pressure off his shoulders after ending a run of 17 rounds without a win.
He said: “To be fair, I wasn’t really thinking about that throughout this year. It was just about being consistent. If I am in finals, I know I am going to be up there on the leaderboard.
“The win wasn’t on my mind at all. It’s nice to get it ticked off, though, and add my name to the list of winners for this year.”
Lambert was the seventh different winner in as many rounds, and he heads to Riga with the added bonus of knowing his spot in the 2027 Speedway GP series is secure after he won the FIM SGP Challenge in Terenzano, Italy on July 25.
“Things like that help,” he said. “I was in a good position before Terenzano and that took the pressure off the Challenge. If we got it, we got it, if not, then no worries – I knew we still had four GPs to go at that point.
“Securing qualification in Terenzano has taken the pressure off a little bit, but it also enables me to push a little bit harder to see what we can achieve.”
Latvian ace Andzejs Lebedevs flies the Latvian flag, bidding to better the third place he achieved in the 2025 event, roared on by a partisan home crowd. Latvian wild card Daniils Kolodinskis joins him in the line-up.
Great Britain star Dan Bewley and Australia’s Jack Holder remain sidelined due to injury, but Swedish icon Fredrik Lindgren is back after missing the last six rounds due to ankle damage. Poland’s Dominik Kubera withdrew after a crash in Denmark on Wednesday. Speedway GP substitutes Anders Thomsen, Jan Kvech and Kai Huckenbeck step into the line-up.
2026 DEWALT FIM SPEEDWAY GP OF LATVIA – RIGA LINE-UP:
95. Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland)
101. Brady Kurtz (Australia)
105. Anders Thomsen (Denmark – substitute for Dan Bewley)
66. Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden)
201. Jan Kvech (Czech Republic – substitute for Jack Holder)
29. Andzejs Lebedevs (Latvia)
505. Robert Lambert (Great Britain)
46. Max Fricke (Australia)
69. Jason Doyle (Australia)
744. Kai Huckenbeck (Germany – substitute for Dominik Kubera)
30. Leon Madsen (Denmark)
52. Michael Jepsen Jensen (Denmark)
692. Patryk Dudek (Poland)
223. Kacper Woryna (Poland)
785. Nazar Parnitskyi (Ukraine)
16. Daniils Kolodinskis (Latvia – wild card)
17. Olegs Mihailovs (Latvia – first track reserve)
18. Jevgenijs Kostigovs (Latvia – second track reserve)
RIGA FANZONE
Enjoy an awesome afternoon of action in the DEWALT FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga fanzone.
The fanzone will be open in the area behind bend one from 13:30 local time, and it features the official Speedway GP autograph session, where fans can meet all 18 riders from 16:30 and get some signatures or selfies.
Meet Monster Energy athletes Fredrik Lindgren and Patryk Dudek and grab some Monster Energy Hero Cards from 17:00.
Win exclusive Speedway GP prizes in our quizzes on the big screen at 15:15. There will also be live coverage of Qualifying on the big screen from 14:00.
We will have an interview with special VIP guests from 16:15 and 17:30. Pose for a photo with the Speedway GP trophy throughout the afternoon. Meet the Monster Energy Girls for a photo and grab a selfie with FIM Speedway mascot Speedy.
There will be a rally car simulator, Kids Corner, other photo opportunities, the We Love Speedway sign, food and drink stalls, Speedway GP and rider merchandise shops and much, much more.
The fanzone closes at 18:30 ahead of the opening ceremony at 18:45, with racing getting underway at around 19:00.
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans can catch every moment of 2026 Speedway GP and SWC action live on global broadcaster Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platforms HBO Max or discovery+. Coverage of every Speedway GP Qualifying session is also available on these platforms.
HBO Max is available across Europe, with FIM-MOTO TV providing coverage around the world.
ACROSS EUROPE: Live on HBO Max and discovery+
REST OF THE WORLD: Live on FIM-MOTO TV
BRITAIN: Live on HBO Max and TNT Sports
POLAND: Live on Eurosport 3, HBO Max and Player
SWEDEN: Live on Kanal 9 and HBO Max
DENMARK: Live on 6’eren and HBO Max
AUSTRALIA: Live on Fox Sports
GERMANY: Live on HBO Max and discovery+
ACROSS THE BALTICS: Live on Go3, TV3 Sport and HBO Max
CZECH REPUBLIC: Live on HBO Max
SLOVAKIA: Live on STVR Sport and HBO Max
USA/Canada: Live on Racer