Swedish star Fredrik Lindgren hopes to find the magic formula to end Lublin teammate Bartosz Zmarzlik’s reign as Speedway GP world champion and take his place at the top of the podium.
Fast Freddie raced to his third Speedway GP World Championship bronze medal last season, adding to the ones he collected in 2018 and 2020, as well as the silver medal he claimed in 2023.
The only colour missing from the 2015 FIM Speedway World Cup winner’s SGP collection is gold, and Lindgren starts 2025 among the championship favourites in the year he celebrates his 40th birthday.
That milestone comes on September 15 – two days after the final Speedway GP round in Vojens on September 13, but Lindgren knows he has a lot of work to do if he is to celebrate his big day in champion style.
Lindgren is pleased with his preparations for the 2025 season so far. But asked what it will take to deny five-time Speedway GP world champion Zmarzlik a record-equalling sixth gold medal, he said: “We are all asking the question, but maybe we can stop asking after this year.
“I am going to give it a go, as I always do. I don’t know what to say really, but I am going to give 100 percent every day to try and become world champion.
“I have had a good winter. I have been training non-stop. I am feeling in good shape and the mechanics have done a good job with the bikes. Overall, we are excited to get into racing.”
There are a few changes to the Speedway GP calendar for 2025, including Britain’s National Speedway Stadium staging an historic ATPI FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Manchester double-header on June 13 and 14.
Lindgren is looking forward to making his UK return for that big weekend, with tickets selling fast. He said: “The Manchester track is cool. Hopefully they prep it nicely and we have some great racing there for those two days of GPs.”
Lindgren should get a warm welcome in the UK, where he raced for Birmingham last season and spent 14 years across two separate spells with Wolverhampton. He made a brief British comeback for the Ben Fund Bonanza at Oxford last Sunday, defying some wet conditions to take third place, picking up four heat wins along the way in a strong showing.
“It was tricky conditions,” he said. “It might have looked good, but it didn’t always feel good. I was happy to be over in Britain. I enjoy racing over there. It was nice to catch up with a few people and get a few laps in.
“It’s early in the season, so you are maybe not 100 percent ready. It was tricky, but all the riders gave it a good go and no-one really complained much, so that was a positive.”