LAMBERT OUT TO EXTEND SPEEDWAY GP STAY

Great Britain racer Robert Lambert believes securing an FIM Speedway Grand Prix return for 2023 is “a very realistic goal” as he prepares for the season opener in Croatia on April 30.

Lambert achieved a creditable 10^th spot in his full-time Speedway GP debut season in 2021 – reaching three straight semi-finals in the last three rounds of the season and five in total from a possible 11.

He also cemented his status in British speedway folklore, when he led the Lions to world-title gold in the FIM Speedway of Nations Final in Manchester last October, securing a 5-4 victory over Poland in the Grand Final alongside team mate Dan Bewley.

Lambert hopes to bring those heroics on to the Speedway GP stage this season. Asked his goals for the year, he replied: “It’s pretty standard and the same as last year – it’s just to qualify for next season. That’s the first goal. This can change throughout the season, but I think that’s a very realistic goal to set myself.”

Lambert recently trained at Donji Kraljevec’s Speedway Stadion Milenium ahead of the new season and has previously visited Croatia for the FIM GP Challenge – the final round of the Speedway GP qualifiers.

It’s a track few riders race on regularly, which ensures a level playing field. So Lambert is determined to find an edge over the competition.

He said: “We have a fair bit of experience here, but it all comes down to how things are on the day. The draw is always important but everyone is in Speedway GP for a reason – this is the top level and it will all be close. It doesn’t matter what track it is on. You need to perform and be at your best.

“The track is a leveller, but if there are some advantages that we can find in my team, we will work to make the most of those.”

Another goal for Lambert in 2022 is retaining the FIM SON world title with Great Britain. This season’s competition takes place over four days in Esbjerg from July 27-30.

While the Lions were seeded into the Final as host nation last season, they must secure a top-three finish in one of the semis this time around to qualify.

This gives the Brits another meeting to negotiate, but Lambert is up for the challenge. He said: “We need to do it twice in a row! That’s definitely a goal but it’s a new story this year. Firstly, we need to focus on qualification for the Final. That will be the first goal, and then we will jump to the next goal, which is winning it again.”