2027 Speedway Grand Prix: The first permanent wildcard has been awarded – and it’s a surprise

With the 2026 World Championship now over, it is clear that, alongside medallists Robert Lambert, Bartosz Zmarzlik and Brady Kurtz, Michael Jepsen Jensen, Patryk Dudek, Leon Madsen and Max Fricke have also secured their places in the 2027 Grand Prix.

Joining them from the Challenge are Kacper Woryna, newcomer Rohan Tungate and Kim Nilsson. As winner Robert Lambert is automatically qualified as world champion, Latvian Andzejs Lebedevs moves up to fifth place.

The final qualifying place would have gone to the European Speedway Champion, but only if he were not already a seeded rider. As the Dane Leon Madsen became champion for the third time last weekend in Pardubice – following victories in 2018 and 2022 – but is already competing in the Grand Prix, this place has been converted into an additional permanent wildcard – meaning there are now four instead of three.

First SGP nomination comes as a surprise

Maciej Janowski finished as European runner-up, just one point behind – and has now, surprisingly, been awarded one of the permanent wildcards. This comes as a surprise because the Red Bull rider from Wrocław is already 35 years old, and there are already three Polish riders in the Grand Prix without him.

Janowski rode his last full GP season in 2023, having won bronze the year before. This year, he won two of the four European Championship events and was unlucky in the GP Challenge, where a technical fault cost him a better result.

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The frontrunners for the remaining three permanent wildcards are England’s Dan Bewley, Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren and Australia’s Jack Holder, who are among the world’s best speedway riders but have been sidelined by injury for much of this season. From a national perspective, they also make sense for promoter Mayfield, as they come from very important markets. They are also all supported by series sponsor Monster.