Bartosz Zmarzlik rues ‘junior’ error in semi-final after Speedway Championship lead is cut at Warsaw Grand Prix

ByMichael Hincks

Updated 17/05/2022 at 12:30 GMT

Bartosz Zmarzlik opened the Speedway GP season with victory in Croatia, but an error saw him miss out of the final at the second round in Poland. The fifth-place finish means Zmarzlik holds a two-point lead in the championship standings, with the next race taking place in Prague on May 28. The 2022 Speedway Grand Prix will be available live and ad-free on discovery+.

Bartosz Zmarzlik was left ruing a “junior” error in the semi-final of the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw.

The double world champion was victorious at the season opener in Croatia last month, but could only place fifth in Poland on Saturday.

That was largely down to hitting a rut during the third lap of semi-final one, when looking to catch Max Fricke.

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“Everything was going really well for me during the meeting, but then I made a mistake like a junior and that’s it,” the Gorzow and Lejonen rider said.

“It was a little bit down to a hole in the track, but I still have to do a good job. The season is long and there are a lot of meetings and work ahead of me. We will see what happens.”

Zmarzlik may have missed out on the final but he still leads the way in the Speedway GP World Championship standings.

• Fricke wins dramatic Speedway GP of Poland in front of 50,000 fans in Warsaw
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• Fricke celebrates win he will 'never forget' in Warsaw

The Pole is on 32 points, two above Danish duo Leon Madsen and Mikkel Michelsen, while Saturday’s victor Fricke is down in sixth behind Maciej Janowski and Fredrik Lindgren.

Fantastic Fricke, Janowski wows, Zmarzlik stutters - the best of the heats from SGP Warsaw

“It’s unreal,” Fricke said after his GP win. “It’s unreal to be able to say I have won a GP here in this amazing stadium in front of so many people.

“I really had to take a few moments, especially after the meeting, to really take in the atmosphere and the crowd. It’s definitely one of those memories I will never forget.”

The third round of the season takes place in Prague on May 28.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER TWO RACES

1 - Bartosz Zmarzlik (Poland) 32pts

2 - Leon Madsen (Denmark) 30pts

3 - Mikkel Michelsen (Denmark) 30pts

4 - Maciej Janowski (Poland) 29pts

5 - Fredrik Lindgren (Sweden) 24pts

6 - Max Fricke (Australia) 22pts

7 - Robert Lambert (United Kingdom) 18pts

8 - Jason Doyle (Australia) 15pts

9 - Anders Thomsen (Denmark) 15pts

10 - Tai Woffinden (United Kingdom) 10pts

11 - Matej Zagar (Slovakia) 11pts

12 - Pawel Przedpelski (Poland) 10pts

13 - Jack Holder (Australia) 10pts

14 - Patryk Dudek (Poland) 10pts

15 - Martin Vaculik (Slovakia) 9pts

16 - Dan Bewley (United Kingdom) 9pts

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The 2022 Speedway Grand Prix will be available live and ad-free on discovery+ with live race action also on Eurosport 2.

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