Cardiff struck off 2025 FIM Speedway GP schedule
Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium stages its first Speedway GP events in 2025. PHOTO: Jarek Pabijan
Words by SGP and superbike.co.uk.
Image courtesy SGP
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Sports, the rights holder of FIM Speedway GP, has informed fans and all associated stakeholders that the 2025 FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain –
Cardiff will be withdrawn from next season’s calendar…
They say that despite three years of investment to stage the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Cardiff, sadly this particular event is no longer viable within a complex economic landscape impacting the event and its contributing stakeholders, when faced with ever-increasing costs and declining attendances.
The decision has been made in close consultation with the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).
There will still be 10 rounds across the 2025 season as WBD Sports and the FIM has announced that a double-header will be staged in Manchester on June 13-14, ensuring British speedway fans can still enjoy two live rounds next year at the National Speedway Stadium.
The 65,000 capacity Principality Stadium, Cardiff has hosted the British Speedway Grand Prix since 2001 and has attracted attendances of some 45,000 speedway fans.
It was revered as the biggest indoor motorsport event in the UK and last year Brits Dan Bewley and Robert Lambert raced to an incredible 1-2 in front of the home fans.
The British Speedway GP now moves to The National Speedway Stadium, home of the Belle Vue Aces in the top tier of British League Speedway, which opened in 2016.
The £8m facility is thoroughly modern, with a fabulous 347 metre racing circuit. It has a seating capacity of 3,700, though temporary grandstands can expand capacity to a total of 6500.
Jean-Baptiste Ley, Motorsport Events Director at WBD Sports, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank all our partners who have helped us to stage a fantastic sporting event at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in recent years. I would also like to place on record that Warner Bros. Discovery Sports remains committed to delivering an action-packed, engaging 2025 FIM Speedway GP series that can be enjoyed by millions of fans.
“In 2024, we had record numbers of fans watching the FIM Speedway GP series on our platforms and a host of sold-out events, as well as staging racing in front of nearly 50,000 fans at PGE Narodowy in Warsaw (Poland), the world’s biggest speedway attendance in 2024.
“In 2025, we are incredibly excited to bring the FIM Speedway GP series to the iconic National Speedway Stadium in Manchester, a true heartland of the sport, meaning British fans can still watch their favourite riders live and in-person next season as part of an exciting double-header.
“The difficult but necessary decision to replace Cardiff on the 2025 calendar, made in close consultation with the FIM, has not been taken lightly. However, a combination of logistical challenges, rising costs impacting the event and its contributing stakeholders, and declining attendances have prevented us from positioning Cardiff as an event that met commercial, or spectator attendance targets post-Covid.
“It is a decision we have made for commercial reasons and a move that ensures the long-term sustainability of the series.
“We will continue to deliver on our plans to capitalise on the popularity of speedway elsewhere and we support the sustained expansion of the sport at all levels of the SGP pyramid – ensuring we provide an even more compelling product for fans while helping the sport to grow even further.”
The 2025 FIM Speedway Grand Prix season will start with the FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Landshut on Saturday, May 3, when Polish world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik bids to win a record-equalling sixth FIM Speedway World Championship.
Revised 2025 FIM Speedway Grand Prix Calendar
- Round 1 | Saturday, May 3 – FIM Speedway GP of Germany – Landshut
- Round 2 | Saturday, May 17 – PZM FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Warsaw
- Round 3 | Saturday, May 31 – FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague
- Round 4 | Friday, June 13 – FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Manchester R4
- Round 5 | Saturday, June 14 – FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain – Manchester R5
- Round 6 | Saturday, June 21 – FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Gorzow
- Round 7 | Saturday, July 5 – FIM Speedway GP of Sweden – Malilla
- Round 8 | Saturday, August 2 – OlyBet FIM Speedway GP of Latvia – Riga
- Round 9 | Saturday, August 30 – FIM Speedway GP of Poland – Wroclaw
- Round 10 | Saturday, September 13 – Deluxe Homeart FIM Speedway GP of Denmark – Vojens
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