MEDAL FOR MICHELSEN?

Danish racer Mikkel Michelsen has a Speedway GP medal in his sights as he prepares for the Tehnix FIM Speedway GP of Croatia next Saturday.

The Czestochowa and Slangerup star raced to a career-best third place in the Donji Kraljevec event last year, before finishing fourth at the Orlen FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw two weeks later.

But after scoring just three championship points across the following two rounds in Prague and Teterow, Michelsen’s rostrum bid stalled, before he ended the season by scoring at least eight points in the final five rounds he raced.

Having missed the FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla due to a broken ankle, Michelsen finished the 2022 season in 11^th place. But he is determined to fire himself up the standings in 2023.

“I definitely want to be fighting for medals,” he said. “That is the ultimate goal. Will I be satisfied if I fail in that and finish in the top six? Absolutely. Reaching the top six is the bare minimum for all of us.

“It might sound boring, but we all want to make the top six and my own goal is fighting for the medals.”

Michelsen reached at least the semi-finals in six of the nine rounds he raced in 2022. It’s a level of consistency that could give him the basis to reach the rostrum.

Asked if there’s anything he plans to change in his push for the podium, he admitted keeping things simple makes all the difference.

Michelsen said: “Last season we were maybe mixing things up a little too much with equipment when it came to the GPs, instead of keeping it stupid simple.

“A GP is just like a league meeting and if you treat it any differently, it’s going to add pressure to the team and yourself. We are trying to approach the GPs a little more relaxed – calm, cool and collected – this season. Hopefully that will be the key to having a better season in the GP.”