FIMTrackRacing

👏 Czech date for 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship

The 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship travels to Pardubice in the Czech Republic this coming Saturday for round eight with British riders occupying the top three positions in the points table having monopolised the top step of the podium at every round since the series got under way in the Netherlands in May.

The series’ final date in Europe before it leaves the continent for the first time in its sixteen-year history to travel to Argentina for two concluding rounds at the end of October, just thirteen points separate the top three with Tim Neave (VRX Power Maxed Dirt Store Ducati) leading on one-hundred-and-forty-seven ahead of a tie between his team-mate Ashton Boughen and Jack Bell (Triumph).

With a maximum of twenty-six points up for grabs for the winner of each round, the championship is still a long way from being decided and former champion Gerard Bailo (Zaeta) as well as defending and two-time champion Ervin Krajčovič (KTM Schruf – Zucco Racing) – who are tied for fourth on one-hundred-and-seventeen points – remain firmly in medal contention.

After making his championship debut in 2023, Neave – a former British Superbike Championship racer – has wasted little time in adapting to this unique discipline and with five podiums this season, including back-to-back wins in Germany and Croatia, the thirty-one-year-old is in pole position to strike FIM gold.

However, in a sport that is so fast and at times unpredictable, his hard-won series lead could disappear quickly and both Boughen – with wins this season in the Netherlands, Italy and last time out in Hungary – and Bell, who won in Germany and Great Britain, are perfectly positioned to take advantage if Neave encounters any problems.

Spanish star Bailo – the champion in 2022 – has looked rejuvenated this season following two years without a top-three finish and the thirty-one-year-old has finished on the podium three times so far in 2026 and is by no means out of the running.
Krajčovič must also be considered among the favourites. The Prague-born thirty-five-year-old will be aiming to use his home round as a springboard to mount a late challenge for the title and after overcoming a points deficit to sew up his 2025 crown in the Speedway Stadium Pardubice, he must be considered a contender.

Currently sitting sixth on one-hundred points, Krajčovič’s compatriot and team-mate Ondřej Svědík will be chasing his second podium of the season and also hoping to benefit from passionate home support and while out of medal contention in ninth, Britain’s Tom Hunt (Beta – OMT Squadra Corse Italiana) has shocked a number of regular front runners in his first full season in the series with podium finishes in the previous two rounds.

Ahead of the British teenager and tied for seventh, Italy’s Daniele Tonelli (TM – Donelli’s Garage) and Stanislav Ohorodnik (Husqvarna) from the Ukraine have looked consistently quick this year and both will be keen to score a podium this season before the championship leaves Europe for South America.

Racing will get under way at Pardubice with the opening Heat scheduled to get off the line at 14:00 (local time).

👏 Riss completes his FIM Long Track World Championship hat-trick at Marmande!

A decade after winning his second FIM Long Track World Championship, Germany’s Erik Riss completed his hat-trick of titles on a dramatic night at Marmande in France, but what looked like virtually a done deal at the start of the programme took an unexpected twist that threatened to derail his challenge.

In the end the thirty-one-year-old’s championship charge was only delayed, but the mechanical problem in his fifth Heat that dropped him out of an automatic qualification place in the Grand Final – which would have guaranteed him the crown – forced him into the Heat twenty-one and two, where a clear victory earned him a third gold medal to go with the ones he won in 2014 and 2016.

Having tasted defeat in just one Heat across the previous two rounds on the way to winning both Grand Finals, Riss carried a ten-point advantage into the rescheduled Marmande event and while there were another five riders still in with a mathematical chance of claiming the title, the writing was on the wall in the opening Heat when Riss fired to victory ahead of Mika Meijer from the Netherlands.

With Britain’s Chris Harris, Dutchman Dave Meijerink and Tero Aarnio from Finland all opening their accounts with wins, it was in the second block where the front-runners began to stake their claims. Meijerink – who was tied on points with defending champion Zach Wajtknecht for second at the start of the night – defeated Harris and Riss beat Aarnio before former champion Lukas Fienhage from Germany and Denmark’s Kenneth Kruse Hansen took wins.

Meijerink then made it three wins in a row when he led home Kruse Hansen and Fienhage and Finland’s Jesse Mustonen won ahead of Dutch racer William Kruit. Meijer then collected his first win of the night and Riss looked to be continuing his domination when he threaded himself between Harris and Wajtknecht to lead his third Heat before Harris swept to victory around the outside.

With the top three after the Heats transferring directly to the Grand Final and Riss only needing to finish fifth to be certain of the crown, he appeared to be cruising to the title with victory in the fourth block ahead of Fienhage, but Meijerink looked to be in trouble when he trailed in last in his fourth Heat as Wajtknecht claimed the win before Kruit and Harris both added another four points to their scores.

The new format for 2026 puts racers placed from fourth to thirteenth through to Heat twenty-one and two with points carried over from the Heats and only two riders making the cut, so tensions were running high with just one block to go.

After Mustonen had won from Kruit and Britain’s Jake Mulford had defeated his compatriot Wajtknecht, Riss rolled up behind the tapes for his last Heat with one hand already on the title and he seemed to have it firmly in his grasp when he started wide and dived up the inside to take the lead. However, with two laps to go on Marmande’s three-cornered ‘trioval’ circuit he was forced to pull up with a mechanical issue – handing victory to Meijerink – and when Fienhage led home Harris in the concluding Heat, Riss found himself in Heat twenty-one.

In the end it was a formality as Riss dominated his race, booking his place in the Grand Final and in the process clinching the crown before Mustonen defeated Wajtknecht to progress to the night’s main race.

Harris had been in brilliant form throughout the Marmande programme and he finished the season off with a Grand Final victory that earned him the series bronze with Meijerink coming home second to secure a career-best silver, but the night belonged to Riss, the newly-crowned three-time FIM Long Track World Champion.

2027 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship calendar confirmed

The schedule for the 2027 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship has been confirmed with a Qualifying round followed by four Finals, punctuated by the FIM Ice Speedway of Nations (ISoN) that returns to the calendar for the second successive year.

2026 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship, Heerenveen © Good-Shoot
The season gets under way with the Qualifying round at Malilla in Sweden on 23 January where eight riders will win the right to contest the four Finals – in Inzell’s Max Aicher Arena in Germany on 13-14 March and Heerenveen’s Thialf Ice Stadium in the Netherlands on 3-4 April – where they will join last season’s top-five along with two FIM-selected permanent wild card riders and one local wild card.

Won last year by Finland when it was staged for the first time since 2020, the ISoN will be held on 20 February at the Kallehov circuit in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.

🇳🇱 Dutch regain FIM Long Track of Nations title in front of home fans!

A powerful Dutch side swept to victory in front of home fans at the Speed Centre Roden on Sunday afternoon to reclaim the coveted FIM Long Track of Nations (LToN) crown in a dramatic Final showdown with defending champions Great Britain who had led throughout the Heat races, but came up just short when it mattered the most.

Winners of the title for just the second time last season, the British quartet of reigning individual champion Zach Wajtknecht, Chris Harris, James Shanes and Jake Mulford had looked impressive all afternoon, progressing to the Final on a total of sixty-five points out of a possible seventy-two.

However, Dave Meijerink, Romano Hummel, Mika Meijer and William Kruit had also been in fine form for the Netherlands to qualify in second on fifty-nine and when Harris pulled out of the Final with a technical issue, the LToN title was back in Dutch hands for the first time since 2023 and the fourth time in total.

Great Britain got its title defence off to a flying start when Wajtknecht, Harris and Shanes filled the top three positions in the opening Heat of the programme against the Finnish trio of Jesse Mustonen, Ossi Rantala and Tero Aarnio before a relatively inexperienced French team comprising Anthony Chauffour, Noah Urda and Tino Bouin ran out winners by eight points to seven over Denmark’s Kenneth Kruse Hansen, Patrick Kruse and Jacob Bukhave.

With Meijerink, Hummel and Meijer completing the opening block with maximum points against Norway’s Glenn Moi, Truls Kamhaug and Robert Langeland, it was all-square at the top between the two main pre-event favourites.

The stalemate did not last long and after Lukas Fienhage, Timo Wachs and Dominik Werkstetter had defeated the Danes by eight points to seven to get the German effort off to a winning start, Harris led Wajtknecht and Mulford to another maximum score – this time against France – before the Dutch defeated Finland by ten points to five.

Despite Werkstetter suffering a disqualification for exceeding track limits, a one-two for Fienhage and Wachs gave Germany victory over Norway by nine points to six and France then defeated Finland by the same margin. Great Britain, this time with Wajtknecht leading Harris and Shanes, concluded the third block with a maximum score against Denmark.

The fourth block got under way with France defeating Germany by nine points to six with Fienhage claiming his third straight Heat win and the Dutch – with Kruit replacing Meijer – then beat the Danes by ten points to five before Great Britain made it four maximums in a row when, with Mulford in for Shanes, it outclassed Norway.

After Kruse Hansen led the Danes to a ten-five win from Finland, a nine-six victory over Germany – despite Fienhage maintaining his one-hundred per cent unbeaten record – kept the Netherlands firmly in contention and Chauffour then claimed his second win of the programme as he spurred the French on to an eleven-four defeat of Norway.

Great Britain, with Shanes again rotated in to replace Mulford, saw its perfect afternoon ended when Meijerink and Hummel went one-three to defeat the reigning champions by eight points to seven and Denmark then brushed aside the challenge of Norway by eleven points to four before Finland claimed its first win of the day when it led home a two-rider German team by nine to six.

With Hummel replaced by Meijer for the concluding block of Heats, the Netherlands booked its place in the Final by collecting ten points to France’s five and Great Britain joined the Dutch after seeing off Germany by the same amount – with Wajtknecht handing Fienhage his first defeat of the afternoon – before Finland beat its neighbours Norway by nine points to seven.

With the French team assured of bronze, when Meijerink led the Final away from the tapes with Harris second ahead of Wajtknecht and Shanes it looked as though the title was heading back to Great Britain for the second successive season until, at the end of lap two while contesting the lead, Harris abruptly slowed and pulled over.

Reduced to two riders, the writing was on the wall for the defending champions and although Wajtknecht and Shanes stayed solid in second and third, victory for Meijerink combined with fourth and fifth for Hummel and Meijer meant the title was back in Dutch hands by eight points to seven.

Great Britain defends FIM Long Track of Nations title at Roden

An annual competition to decide the discipline’s most dominant country, the FIM Long Track of Nations (LToN) takes place this coming Sunday (20 September) at Roden in the Netherlands where Great Britain will attempt to defend its title in the face of fierce opposition.

Featuring three and four-rider teams from seven different nations, the LToN returns to the Speed Centre Roden for the first time since 2023 when a strong Dutch team won on home ground. This time around the Netherlands is once again one of the favoured teams, although with almost all the main names from the individual FIM Long Track World Championship in action there is no clear favourite.

Winners for just the second time last season when the LToN was staged in Germany, Great Britain will field reigning individual world champion Zach Wajtknecht alongside its experienced Captain, Chris Harris, who both played major roles in the 2025 victory. However, with Andrew Appleton – the crucial third member last year – sidelined with injury, James Shanes and Jake Mulford have been drafted into the team.

Back-to-back winners in 2018 and 2019, the French team is Captained by Tino Bouin with support from Noah Urda and Anthony Chauffour. While none of the French riders are pushing for individual honours this season, all have scored world championship points in 2026.

Still looking for its first medal in the competition, Denmark is Captained by Kenneth Kruse Hansen who will return from injury to compete alongside up-and-coming teenaged talent Patrick Kruse and the more experienced Jacob Bukhave.

The event’s Scandinavian connection is furthered by the inclusion of teams from Finland and Norway with the Finns fielding a strong side with Tero Aarnio and Ossi Rantala led into battle by Captain Jesse Mustonen. Currently riding high in sixth and ninth in the individual world championship, Mustonen and Aarnio are in great form this season and motorcycle racing all-rounder Rantala was recently crowned as the winner of the inaugural FIM European Flat Track Cup.

The Norwegian team is Captained by individual series regular Glenn Moi, who lies eleventh in his debut season, with back-up from Truls Kamhaug, Robert Langeland and Magnus Klipper. All four are decorated Speedway riders and at sixty-five years old, Langeland – who made his competitive debut in top-flight racing in the 1980s – is the oldest racer on the starting list.

By far the most successful nation in the history of the LToN with ten wins, apart from in 2013 Germany has featured on the podium every year the event has been staged and with 2020 individual world champion Lukas Fienhage as Captain alongside Timo Wachs, Dominik Werkstetter and Fabian Wachs, it will be looking to continue its extraordinary success in the competition and improve on third last year.

Last, but by no means least, is a strong Dutch quartet led by Captain Mika Meijer alongside 2021 individual world champion Romano Hummel, Dave Meijerink and William Kruit. Unchanged from the team that won silver last season, Meijerink is currently second in the individual world championship with Kruit eighth, Meijer tenth and Hummel – after just one appearance in 2026 – fifteenth.

With teamwork the key to success in the competition and strong support from the passionate home fans a given, the Netherlands start as a contender to repeat its 2023 LToN win at Roden and add to its existing tally of three gold medals.

The action from the Speed Centre Roden is due to get under way at 14:00 (local time).

👏👏👏👏 Boughen blasts back in Vasad as FIM Flat Track World Championship fight intensifies

Ashton Boughen (Ducati – VRX Dirt Store Ducati) rediscovered his winning form to race to a vital victory at round seven of the 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship, staged on Saturday afternoon at Vasad in Hungary, as British riders filled the top four positions.

Following a disappointing performance last time out at his home round in King’s Lynn, Boughen – who claimed back-to-back wins at the opening two rounds – went head-to-head with his team-mate and series leader Tim Neave in an intense twelve-lap Final that was not decided in the nineteen-year-old’s favour until the last bend of the last lap.

Just to underline how strong the sport currently is in Great Britain, the final step on the podium went to Tom Hunt (Beta) – riding a borrowed bike after his suffered engine failure in the opening block of Heat races – who made a late pass on Jack Bell (Triumph) to complete an incredible comeback.

After picking up the bonus point for the fastest lap of the Final, Boughen has tied Bell for second in the standings and closed the gap to Neave by four points to thirteen with just Pardubice in the Czech Republic left on the calendar before the extended series signs off with a double date in Argentina at the end of October.

With dry and slightly overcast conditions, Boughen started the afternoon programme with a victory over defending champion Ervin Krajčovič (KTM Schruf – Zucco Racing) from the Czech Republic before 2022 champion Gerard Bailo (Zaeta) defeated Britain’s Gary Birtwistle (Royal Enfield) as Hunt pulled out with a badly smoking machine.

Czech racer Ondřej Svědík (KTM Schruf – Zucco Racing) then handed Neave his first and only defeat of the Heats to claim a share of the early lead and after Krajčovič had got the second block under way with a win from Bell, Svědík made it two out of two when he led home Austrian Max Hellmann (KTM) and Hunt.

When Neave defeated Boughen just before the second interval, Svědík found himself in the lead on his own, but it was all-change in the third block as riders fought to stay inside the top ten and automatically make the cut for the Final.

Still playing catch-up after being disqualified from his opening Heat, Bell did his title aspirations no harm when he defeated Stanislav Ohorodnik (Husqvarna) from the Ukraine and Hellmann then won from Germany’s Marius Kircher (KTM) before, in a Heat that shook up the leaderboard, Neave led home Hunt, Krajčovič, Svědík, Bailo and Boughen to move into an uncontested lead.

Boughen bounced back to get the final block under way with victory from Hunt and home rider Erik Hugyecz (KTM) and Svědík recovered well to win ahead of Birtwistle and Krajčovič with Neave rounding out the Heats stage with his third straight win, this time chased by Bell and Bailo.

The five-lap Last Chance Heat for riders positioned from eleventh to twentieth decided the remaining two places on the grid for the Final and it was Ohorodnik who led all the way with Birtwistle booking his place in the main points-scoring race with a forceful pass for second on Dutch racer Stef Hamstra (Ducati).

When the lights went out for the Final it was Krajčovič who reacted quickest, cutting across Neave and Boughen to grab an early lead, but it was short-lived and the British pair wasted little time in cutting back up the inside of the defending champion.

With Bell moving into third on lap three, Neave and Boughen began to check out. Riding wide lines, Boughen appeared to have more speed, but the championship leader was hard to pass and it was not until halfway through the last lap that Boughen was able to make his move. Neave responded with a last chance inside line into the final turn, but Boughen held on to revitalise his championship challenge heading into round eight in the Czech Republic on 3 October.

With its mix of established stars, fast-rising talent and series newcomers, the 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship is taking shape to be one of the most exciting in the sport’s history and FIM-MOTO TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis.

FIM Flat Track World Championship

Tim Neave Racing leads standings as FIM Flat Track World Championship World Championship heads to Hungary

British riders head to Vasad in Hungary this coming Saturday (12 September) for the seventh round of the 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship occupying the top three positions in the points table having won all six Grand Finals staged so far this season.

Leading the way with back-to-back victories in Teterow and Donji Kraljevec, Tim Neave (Ducati – VRX Dirt Store Ducati) has banked a total of one-hundred-and-twenty-five points to open up a nine-point advantage over Jack Bell (Triumph) – who has won the two most recent rounds in Scheessel and King’s Lynn – with Ashton Boughen (Ducati – VRX Dirt Store Ducati) a further eight points back.

Boughen, in his debut season in the series, won the opening rounds in Roden and Terenzano and knows he has to pick up the pace after being caught and passed in the standings by his two compatriots, but he is in good company with former champion Gerard Bailo (Zaeta) from Spain and defending and two-time champion Ervin Krajčovič (KTM Schruf – Zucco Racing) from the Czech Republic – who are currently sitting fourth and fifth – also playing catch-up along with the rest of the world-class field.

The racing in the extended ten-round series has lived up to all expectations this season and, despite the current British stranglehold on the top three positions, with a maximum of twenty-six points up for grabs for the winner of each round the leaderboard could change dramatically before the action concludes with back-to-back rounds in Argentina at the end of October.

A disappointing night at his home round in King’s Lynn saw Boughen score just four points for seventeenth and he will start at Vasad knowing he needs to perform at his best if he is to reduce the seventeen-point gap to his team-mate and also stay ahead of 2022 champion Bailo – who is just three points behind – and Krajčovič who is another three points further back.

With Sammy Halbert (Picasso Engineering Squadra Corse Italiana) not on the starting list for Saturday, there is one less former champion for the field to contend with, although the talent is seriously stacked this year as the series continues to grow and attract new teams and manufacturers and more exciting, success-hungry riders.
Krajčovič’s compatriot and team-mate Ondřej Svědík has scored just one podium finish this season with a third at Scheessel and will be fully focussed on adding to this total. Do not rule out the Ukraine’s Stanislav Ohorodnik (Husqvarna) who is also a constant threat, but in his third full year in the championship – and his most successful to date – is still looking for his debut podium finish.

Italy’s Daniele Tonelli (TM – Donelli’s Garage) is another rider who has what it takes to push for podiums, although he is still looking to rediscover the form he showed at the start of last season when he claimed two second-placed finishes in the first three rounds.

Currently back in twelfth, Tom Hunt (Yamaha) may appear to be struggling to make his presence felt, however the British teenager has gone five-two at the previous two rounds and with momentum on his side must be considered a contender in Hungary.

With home riders László Lőrinc (KTM) and Erik Hugyecz (KTM) giving the passionate Hungarian fans two local heroes to cheer on, the atmosphere in the Moto Track Arena is sure to be electric and the three-hundred-and-thirteen-metre circuit is guaranteed to produce close, action-packed racing.

Racing will get under way at Vasad with the opening Heat scheduled to get off the line at 14:00 (local time).

With its mix of established stars, fast-rising talent and series newcomers, the 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship is taking shape to be one of the most exciting in the sport’s history and FIM-MOTO TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis.

👏👏👏 Erik Riss extends 2026 FIM Long Track World Championship lead with victory in Morizès

Erik Riss dropped his first points of the season on Saturday night as Morizès hosted the second Final of the 2026 FIM Long Track World Championship, but the German – a two-time champion – still dominated the Grand Final to claim back-to-back wins and extend his advantage at the top of the standings to ten points.

With just the deciding Final at Marmande in France at the end of September remaining on the 2026 calendar, time is running out for Riss’ rivals to prevent him adding to the gold medals he won in 2014 and 2016. Dutch rider Dave Meijerink and reigning champion Zach Wajtknecht from Great Britain – who are now tied for second – are leading the charge, just three points clear of 2020 champion Lukas Fienhage from Germany.

Following a hot day in southwest France, the five-hundred-and-thirty-metre track was dry and fast and presented a very different challenge to the one-thousand-metre Scheessel circuit that got the championship under way last month – although it was very much a case as business as usual for Riss who, one week before his thirty-first birthday, was a man on a mission.

Finland’s Jesse Mustonen got the nighttime programme under way with a victory from home hero Mathias Trésarrieu and Wajtknecht before Fienhage claimed a win ahead of Mika Meijer from the Netherlands. Riss – who won all five of his Heats and the Grand Final at Scheessel – then extended his 2026 championship win-streak to seven consecutive races when he led home Dutch former champion Romano Hummel with Meijerink ending the opening block on top from Norwegian Glenn Moi.

Riss, who has been struggling with a medical condition that affects his eyesight, made no mistake when he made it eight wins in a row to end Mustonen’s hopes of retaining a share of the lead and Fienhage then defeated Wajtknecht. Trésarrieu – making his comeback after sustaining a concussion in June – picked up his first victory in a dramatic Heat that saw Chris Harris, the 2025 silver medallist, disqualified for a false start and Hummel pull out with a puncture.

After Meijerink had taken his second win – this time ahead of Finland’s Tero Aarnio – to make it a three-way tie at the top, Riss moved into the lead on his own when he won his third Heat from Fienhage, Mustonen and Meijerink before Dutchman William Kruit claimed victory ahead of Hummel, Trésarrieu won from Moi and Harris and Wajtknecht defeated eighteen-year-old Patrick Kruse from Denmark.

Getting the fourth block under way with the best performance of his short senior career, eighteen-year-old event wild card Noah Urda from France – the 2023 FIM Track Racing Youth Gold Trophy winner – won from Wajtknecht and Trésarrieu then had the home fans on their feet again when he led Aarnio and Riss across the line.

Fienhage tied Trésarrieu at the top with his third win of the night before Harris claimed a crucial victory from Meijerink to double his points total to eight with just one block remaining to decide the three automatic qualifiers for the Grand Final.

A third victory for Meijerink assured the Dutchman of a place behind the tapes in the programme’s main race before further wins for Fienhage and Riss ensured their progression and Meijer kept himself in contention when he defeated Kruse, but Harris almost missed a place in one of the two Last Chance Heats when he was again disqualified for a false start.

This season there are two five-rider Last Chance Heats contested by competitors finishing from fourth to thirteenth with points carried over from the Heats and only two riders making the cut and it was Trésarrieu and Wajtknecht who took care of business.

When the tapes went up on the Grand Final for the first time, Meijerink was disqualified for a false start and from the restart it was Riss who powered to the front from the inside gate before checking out to win ahead of Fienhage and Wajtknecht.

The third and concluding Final will take place in Marmande on 26 September, six days after the FIM Long Track of Nations at Roden in the Netherlands.

16-year-old Polish sensation Maksymilian Pawełczak will line-up as a wild card for the SGP Finale in Torun 💪

Read more 👉 https://fimspeedway.com/news/polish-talent-pawelczak-makes-speedway-gp-debut-at-series-finale-in-torun

Riss carries 2026 FIM Long Track World Championship lead into Morizès
With one Final completed and two still to go, competitors in the 2026 FIM Long Track World Championship travel to Morizès in France this coming Saturday where a talent-filled field – including four current and former champions – will be looking to make an impact as the series reaches the halfway point.

Following the opening Final at Scheessel in Germany last month, Erik Riss – champion in 2014 and again in 2016 – starts as the rider to beat after his commanding unbeaten performance on home ground where he began the campaign to complete his title hat-trick in dominant fashion.

However, while the thirty-year-old Bavarian rider is clearly in fantastic form, the shorter Morizès circuit – that at five-hundred-and-thirty metres is almost half the length of Scheessel – presents a much different challenge and his rivals are queuing up to stake their claim to the crown.

Top of the list of talented riders looking to catch Riss is Dave Meijerink from the Netherlands who dropped points in just one of his Heats in Scheessel before chasing the German for the full length of the Grand Final to claim second ahead of the vastly-experienced Chris Harris.

The forty-three-year-old British rider – who won the silver medal last year to go with his silver from 2023 and bronze in 2022 – loves to ride wide, fast lines and that could play into his hands at Morizès having already shown his podium potential there when he was third the last time the series visited the circuit in 2023.

Currently fourth and looking to improve, defending champion Zach Wajtknecht from Great Britain knows he must claw back the deficit to the three riders above him in the standings if he is to retain the title, but he is in good company with former champions Lukas Fienhage from Germany and Romano Hummel also on the start list.

Champion in 2020 and runner-up in 2024 before winning bronze last year, Fienhage took a Heat win in Scheessel and came home seventh in the Grand Final and behind fast Finn Jesse Mustonen who will be aiming to improve on his sixth-placed finish at the opener.

Hummel did not compete in Scheessel, but the Dutchman won at Morizès in 2023 and if he brings his best form must be considered a candidate for a podium finish, despite contesting just one Final in 2025.

The Scandinavian pairing of Patrick Kruse from Denmark and Norwegian series newcomer Glenn Moi also picked up a Heat victory each in Scheessel, but consistency is key and both will need more wins during the course of the programme if they are to make the five-rider cut for the Grand Final where the major points are up for grabs.

The opening Heat from Morizès is scheduled to get under way at 21:00 (local time).