Australian rider Jason Doyle won the Speedway Grand Prix event at the PGE National Stadium in Warsaw on Saturday, while home hero Bartosz Zmarzlik finished just behind his back. Britain’s Robert Lambert came in third.
Another Pole, Szymon Woźniak, was eliminated in the semifinals, while his fellow countrymen Mateusz Cierniak and Dominik Kubera ended their participation in the main phase of the tournament.
The GP tournament at PGE Narodowy took place for the eighth time. A Pole has never managed to win here. Last year, on his way to his fourth world champion title, Zmarzlik finished third here.
The Warsaw competition started well for the Poles. Zmarzlik confidently won the first series of races, and Woźniak fought a thrilling, successful battle for victory with the best in Friday’s sprint, the Brit Daniel Bewley. Kubera took third place, and the junior world champion Cierniak, who started with a ‘wild card’, remained without a point.
In his third race, Zmarzlik secured his second victory. Kubera, who finished fourth in the same race, essentially lost his chance to advance to the semifinals. Shortly thereafter, Cierniak met a similar fate. However, the subsequent two points earned by Woźniak provided him with a realistic opportunity to secure a place in the ‘top eight.’
In the final series of the main tournament, Zmarzlik and Woźniak, both finishing second in their respective races, confirmed their progression to the semifinals. Kubera, for the fourth time that evening, finished last, while Cierniak exited the competition with dignity, having won his race.
Doyle advanced to the semifinals from first place, having accumulated 14 points. Vaculik followed in second place with 12 points, while Zmarzlik secured third place with 10 points. Woźniak, with 9 points, finished in fifth place. Cierniak concluded the competition in 14th place with three points, and Kubera ended up in 15th place with two points.
Both Polish competitors faced off in the second semifinal. Zmarzlik emerged as the decisive winner, with Vaculik finishing in second place. Regrettably, the competition eliminated both Bewley and Woźniak, who finished last.
Earlier, Doyle and Lambert progressed to the decisive race, with Lambert narrowly outpacing the winner of the first GP tournament in Gorican, the Australian Jack Holder. During the first bend, the German competitor Kai Huckenbeck took a fall on the track and, due to his injuries, withdrew from the replay.
In the final, Doyle maintained the lead from start to finish, with Zmarzlik unable to close the gap.
“I executed the plan. It’s gratifying to reach the final for the second time, especially with this audience. I must ask for the Polish fans’ patience. Last year, I finished third, this year second, and I am gradually climbing higher. We’ll see what happens next year,” Zmarzlik stated after the competition.
In the overall standings following two tournaments, Doyle leads with 38 points, ahead of his fellow countryman Holder and Zmarzlik, both of whom have 32 points.
The GP tournament at PGE Narodowy took place for the eighth time. A Pole has never managed to win here. Last year, on his way to his fourth world champion title, Zmarzlik finished third here.
The Warsaw competition started well for the Poles. Zmarzlik confidently won the first series of races, and Woźniak fought a thrilling, successful battle for victory with the best in Friday’s sprint, the Brit Daniel Bewley. Kubera took third place, and the junior world champion Cierniak, who started with a ‘wild card’, remained without a point.
In the race ending the second series, Zmarzlik and Woźniak met, but unexpectedly they were ‘reconciled’ by Martin Vaculik. Lambert took advantage of the fierce rivalry of the two Polish competitors behind the Slovak’s back, overtaking Zmarzlik in the final meters. Not only did Woźniak fail to score points in this series, but Kubera and Cierniak also didn’t score any points.Wozniak lighting up the crowd in Warsaw!
— FIM Speedway Grand Prix (@SpeedwayGP) May 11, 2024
A fantastic ride from Szymon Wozniak, getting the better of Dan Bewley to take his first win of the night 🔥#FIMSpeedwayGP | #WarsawSGP 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/aTqESCHGmp
In his third race, Zmarzlik secured his second victory. Kubera, who finished fourth in the same race, essentially lost his chance to advance to the semifinals. Shortly thereafter, Cierniak met a similar fate. However, the subsequent two points earned by Woźniak provided him with a realistic opportunity to secure a place in the ‘top eight.’
Zmarzlik, whose performance was inconsistent on Saturday, managed to score only one point in the 13th race, falling behind Dane Mikkel Michelsen and Latvian Andžejs Lebedevs. In this round, both Woźniak and Kubera earned two points each, while Cierniak unfortunately recorded another ‘zero.’🎙 "How untidy is that? I don't know how he stays on!" 😳
— FIM Speedway Grand Prix (@SpeedwayGP) May 11, 2024
Untidy sure, but it's all action from Zmarzlik and Huckenbeck in heat 10! 🔥#FIMSpeedwayGP | #WarsawSGP 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/u1yVlFFi6s
In the final series of the main tournament, Zmarzlik and Woźniak, both finishing second in their respective races, confirmed their progression to the semifinals. Kubera, for the fourth time that evening, finished last, while Cierniak exited the competition with dignity, having won his race.
Doyle advanced to the semifinals from first place, having accumulated 14 points. Vaculik followed in second place with 12 points, while Zmarzlik secured third place with 10 points. Woźniak, with 9 points, finished in fifth place. Cierniak concluded the competition in 14th place with three points, and Kubera ended up in 15th place with two points.
Both Polish competitors faced off in the second semifinal. Zmarzlik emerged as the decisive winner, with Vaculik finishing in second place. Regrettably, the competition eliminated both Bewley and Woźniak, who finished last.
Earlier, Doyle and Lambert progressed to the decisive race, with Lambert narrowly outpacing the winner of the first GP tournament in Gorican, the Australian Jack Holder. During the first bend, the German competitor Kai Huckenbeck took a fall on the track and, due to his injuries, withdrew from the replay.
In the final, Doyle maintained the lead from start to finish, with Zmarzlik unable to close the gap.
“I executed the plan. It’s gratifying to reach the final for the second time, especially with this audience. I must ask for the Polish fans’ patience. Last year, I finished third, this year second, and I am gradually climbing higher. We’ll see what happens next year,” Zmarzlik stated after the competition.
In the overall standings following two tournaments, Doyle leads with 38 points, ahead of his fellow countryman Holder and Zmarzlik, both of whom have 32 points.
The next GP tournament will take place on May 18 in Landshut, Germany.And with that we have a new World Championship leader! 🏆
— FIM Speedway Grand Prix (@SpeedwayGP) May 11, 2024
Jason Doyle leads the charge at the top 👊#FIMSpeedwayGP | #WarsawSGP 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/u1oa4lAnuk
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