Tonight the 2021 FIM Speedway Grand Prix finally gets underway with the first of a double header in Prague. The series will consist of 11 rounds in 2021 including a number of back to back meetings in the same venue, as tonight.
Three in a row for Zmarzlik?
Bartosz Zmarzlik, the current World Champion, is looking to retain the title to make it the third championship in a row. And whilst he is many people's favourite for the 2021 series, and whilst he is the top scorer in Sweden's Elitserien, he is not actually the best rider in the Ekstraliga. We take a brief look at the individual standings in Poland's and Sweden's top league to give a feel for the riders' form coming into tonight's event. In both leagues Zmarzlik, Maciej Janowski and Artem Laguta occupy the top three spots for riders who are going to participate in the SGP.
Ekstraliga
It will be of no surprise that 10 of the top 16 riders in the Ekstraliga are already in the SGP with Janusz Kolodziej and Nicki Pedersen the only riders who are in the Top 10 who are not in World Championships this year.
Individual rankings 2021 (Ektsraliga)
1. Maciej Janowski WRO 2.672
2. Bartosz Zmarzlik GOR 2.644
3. Artem Laguta WRO 2.397
4. Martin Vaculik GOR 2.339
6. Jason Doyle LES 2.175
7. Tai Woffinden WRO 2.167
9. Leon Madsen CZE 2.121
13. Robert Lambert TOR 2.036
14. Emil Sayfutdinov LES 2.036
16. Anders Thomsen GOR 1.947
21. Matej Zagar ZIE 1.771
25. Max Fricke WRO 1.695
27. Fredrik Lindgren CZE 1.655
38. Krzysztof Kasprzak GRU 1.367
In EWinner 1 league:
27. Oliver Berntzon OST 1.792
----
Elitserien
The last few years have seen a trend for the SGP riders to not race in Sweden with half of the Top 10 in the 2020 World Championships not competing in the Elitserien. Most notable of these was Sweden's own Fredrik Lindgren. However, this year has seen a return of many riders to the top league in Sweden particularly as the regular season in Poland comes to an end. Although the Ekstraliga's rules that mean you can only race in one country outside Poland has meant that the Danish riders have almost all decided to race in their home country, including Leon Madsen and Anders Thomsen as well as the newly crowned European champion, Mikkel Michelsen who will have to wait until 2022 to return to the SGP Series. However, in the last few weeks Emil Sayfutdinov has signed for Rospiggarna and Lindgren makes a return, this time to Västervik.
Whilst these last two riders have not yet acquired an officical average, let's take a look at the scorers so far for those SGP riders who have been racing in Elitserien:
Individual Standings 2021 (Elitserien)
1. Bartosz Zmarzlik VETS 2.857
2. Artem Laguta WSMK 2.593
7. Maciej Janowski DAC 2.429
8. Robert Lambert LEJ 2.400
12. Jason Doyle DAC 2.344
17. Max Fricke IND 2.138
23. Krzysztof Kasprzak LEJ 1.941
25. Oliver Berntzon LEJ 1.900
