FIM SPEEDWAY: ZMARZLIK: TALK DOESN’T WIN RACES

Courtesy FIM Speedway GP

Six-time Speedway GP world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik insists “talking about records doesn’t help you win races” as he bids to win an historic seventh title in 2026.

The Polish icon last year joined New Zealand great Ivan Mauger and Swedish legend Tony Rickardsson in the sport’s most exclusive club, matching their record of six individual world championships.

At just 30 years old, Zmarzlik has plenty of time on his side to become the first seven-time Speedway GP world champion in the sport’s history.

There’s no doubt talk of him breaking this record will reach fever pitch if Zmarzlik continues a run of form that has seen him win six world titles in seven seasons. But the man himself will be paying little attention to the noise.

He said: “I try not to focus on the noise. Talking about records doesn’t help you win races. My mindset will be the same as always – focus on preparation, take it race by race and do my job as well as possible. If you think too much about the end result, you lose focus on what really matters.”

Zmarzlik hasn’t just gained trophies over the past 10 years as a full-time Speedway GP rider as he believes a decade of experience on the sport’s biggest stage has better equipped him to deal with the expectation he carries.

He said: “I think experience has changed me the most. As a rider, I’m calmer, more patient and better at reading situations during races. 

“As a person, I’ve learned to manage pressure and expectations in a healthier way. The hunger to win is still there, but now it’s supported by maturity and understanding that success is built over a long period of time.

“Experience helps a lot. You learn that pressure is part of the job and that it doesn’t disappear, no matter how many titles you win. The difference now is that I know how to use it as motivation instead of letting it become a burden.”

If Zmarzlik raced to individual title number seven in 2026, it seems unlikely it would quench his thirst for Speedway GP success.

Asked if being a seven-time champion would change anything for him, Zmarzlik replied: “I don’t think it would change much. As long as you are racing, expectations are always there – from fans, from sponsors and from yourself. For me, motivation doesn’t come from numbers, but from the desire to keep improving and enjoying what I do.”