The World of Motorcycling- News detail

Polish icon Maciej Janowski makes his FIM Speedway Grand Prix comeback in 2027 after being named as next season’s first permanent wild card, and he admits it will turbocharge his pre-season preparations.

Janowski returns to Speedway GP for the first time since 2023 after a strong 2026 campaign, which saw him fall just a point short of winning the Speedway European Championship, which would have guaranteed his SGP comeback.

Despite missing out on continental glory in Pardubice last Friday, Janowski has been handed one of four wild cards by the SGP Commission, with the remaining three to be announced in the coming days.

Janowski won Speedway GP World Championship bronze in 2022, and the multi-time FIM Speedway World Cup winner is relishing the chance to improve on this in 2027.

He said: “This is a very exciting moment. It was some very good news when I had the call yesterday morning.

“I am very happy to be back and have another chance in Speedway GP. It’s going to be an exciting preparation for the season. It will definitely push me even harder.

“I will definitely try to improve my speedway skills during the winter. I will try to prepare the best I can – working on everything around the speedway too – and make it very organised. I have some plans for this winter, and I hope next year will be good for us.”

Janowski exited Speedway GP at the end of 2023 and has been restricted to appearances as a one-day wild card and substitute since then.

Wroclaw’s favourite speedway son qualified for the FIM SGP Challenge in Terenzano on July 25 and fell short of qualification after suffering a mechanical failure in his final ride.

But Magic won two of this year’s four Speedway European Championship rounds in Gustrow and Pardubice and also helped Wroclaw reach the PGE Ekstraliga play-off final, which saw them claim silver on Sunday night.

Janowski admits enjoying his racing much more in 2026 has been one of his biggest victories. He said: “During the season, I was trying to focus on my racing, and I was just trying to enjoy myself again. I think that was the key. I have some real excitement for this sport.

“The Challenge was a little bit disappointing, and I missed out on the European Championship by one point. But I knew we had done everything we could. Maybe it was not enough, but I am taking this as a challenge next year and I will just try to be better.”

One of the biggest perks of being a Speedway GP rider for next season is the prospect of heading Down Under for the FIM Speedway GP of Australia – Adelaide double-header on October 29 and 30, 2027.

A delighted Janowski has big plans. He said: “Finally, I will have a chance to visit my friends like Darcy (Ward), Brady (Kurtz), Chris (Holder) and Tai (Woffinden) too.

“I’m very, very excited about that. I have said that I can’t fly so many hours with my kids, but now I can’t use that excuse! I have many friends in Australia. I hope I will have the chance to meet all of them over there, and we can spend some time together.”

Asked about his SGP expectations for 2027, Janowski was coy. He said: “I heard one very clever thing – if you want something to happen, don’t speak very loudly about it. I will try to prepare the best I can and make my fans enjoy my speedway as much as I enjoy it every day. I will do my best.”