LINDGREN UP FOR CARDIFF COMEBACK

Swedish star Freddie Lindgren admits you have to think fast in Cardiff as he gets ready for his first UK appearance in three years at the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain tonight.

Fast Freddie became a club legend at British side Wolverhampton, representing the Monmore Green side in every season but one from 2003 until 2017, winning league titles in 2009 and 2016.

Lindgren, who was runner-up in Cardiff in 2009, cannot wait to see some familiar faces as he returns to Britain’s biggest arena motorsport event.

He said: “I’m looking forward to Cardiff. I haven’t been in the UK since before the pandemic in 2019.

“Cardiff is one of the best GPs. I have always enjoyed racing there. I still have a lot of fans in the UK after racing for Wolverhampton for so many years. I spent a lot of time there. I am really looking forward to it.

“I really enjoy these big stadiums – both Warsaw and Cardiff. I wish we could go back to the biggest stadiums in other countries as well. It’s something different in speedway and I really enjoy that.”

Lindgren became a master of Wolves’ tight and technical track and will hope to thrive on the 272-metre Cardiff oval tonight. While the two circuits are very different, the Swede admits you have to react fast on both.

He said: “Cardiff is not as tight as Wolverhampton. But you definitely have to think quickly there. Things can happen very fast. I will try and use the knowledge I have to be successful there.

“If your form is good and you are going well, you can perform on any track. I don’t really think too much about the track. I am just going to suck in the atmosphere. I am very happy to be part of these events. They don’t happen every day. I am happy to be part of it and will try to do everything I can to be successful in it as well.”

Lindgren is determined to find some consistency in the second half of the 2022 Speedway GP series, having finished second in Warsaw and Teterow, but fallen short of the semi-finals in Croatia, Prague and Gorzow.

The Orebro-born ace, who is currently fifth in the standings on 51 points, said: “I haven’t been consistent enough this year. I’ve had two podiums, which has been great. But the rest of the meetings haven’t gone my way.

“I feel my form is coming along a bit better now. I really do feel I can do something in the later part of the season. We are still only halfway and there are a lot of points to play for.

“I feel this year’s series has been so competitive. It has been very even and there have been different winners at every round. It’s only really Zmarzlik who has found some sort of consistency. That’s why he is top at the moment.

“For the rest of us, it has been a battle. We have one good round and one worse one. Everyone is in a similar boat and anything can happen. It is all up for grabs for anyone. It is very close from third place down to 12^th, so it’s all to play for.”

Lindgren is delighted to be back on track after taking a three-week break following the 3W FIM Gorzow Speedway GP due to his ongoing fight against long Covid.

The Swede was hit with the virus in the early days of the pandemic in March 2020 and again in the winter of 2020/21 and has endured breathing difficulties since then. But Lindgren is fighting back following his short rest.

He said: “It’s going better. I wouldn’t say my health is 100 percent back to normal just yet. But I have seen over the past three weeks that I am making steady progress and it’s a lot better now than it was in Gorzow.

“I have been training very easy. If I go cycling, I take it at a very steady pace and maybe do longer runs, but at a steadier pace. I have also had some new supplements and new medicine I am using. That is helping as well.”

Celebrate 20 years of Speedway GP in Cardiff on Saturday with all tickets including entry to Sunday’s FIM SGP2 of Great Britain, featuring the sport’s under-21 stars.

Tickets are still available from the WRU Shop at the Principality Stadium, between gates three and four on Westgate Street today until 5.30pm.