The 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship explodes into life this coming Saturday (9 May) when the biggest names in this exciting and spectacular sport assemble at the Speed Centre Roden in the Netherlands for the opening round of the newly-extended series.
- Czech hero Ervin Krajčovič begins his bid for a third world crown
- FIM Flat Track World Championship of the Netherlands in Roden makes its debut
- World’s best racers aim to strike FIM gold in extended ten-round series
As the series expands to ten rounds for 2026, including its first-ever dates outside Europe, defending two-time champion Ervin Krajčovič (KTM) faces growing pressure from new challengers, with new manufacturers and teams adding further depth to the competition. US star Sammy Halbert - 2024 champion and last season’s runner-up - will not contest the full campaign.
The Czech hero has locked horns with Halbert since the American’s debut in the championship in 2023. That season it was Krajčovič who struck gold, but he lost his title to Halbert the following year before regaining it in 2025 following a close-fought campaign that saw him defeat the racer from the Pacific Northwest by just five points after six thrilling rounds.
Extended from six to ten rounds this year as a mark of its fast-growing popularity, the series will visit eight countries and two continents over an intense five-and-a-half-month schedule, starting in Roden on Saturday and concluding with two rounds in Argentina over the weekend of 24-25 October.
Based on 2025’s final standings, Halbert’s withdrawal elevates last season’s bronze medallist Ondřej Švédík (KTM) to the high-pressure position of main challenger to his compatriot’s crown, but every year the standard of competition rises and with and last season’s heroics consigned to the history books, the twenty-four registered riders will all start on Saturday aiming to stake a claim to the throne.
While the impressive Dutch facility is a regular stop on the FIM Long Track World Championship calendar, this year’s opening round represents the first time the Speed Centre Roden has hosted the FIM Flat Track World Championship as the series visits the Netherlands for an historic debut.
The host nation will field three riders on Saturday with Maikel Dijkstra and Stef Hamstra (KTM) joined on the entry list by the experienced Menno van Meer (Honda), but home hopes of victory are slim and the Czech pairing of Krajčovič and Švédík are likely to face stronger opposition from riders including, but by no means limited to, Italy’s Daniele Tonelli (Donelli's garage TM) and Britain’s Tim Neave (VRX Dirt Store Ducati).
A fighting fifth last year, Tonelli scored two second-placed finishes in 2025, while sixth-placed Neave – who despite two podiums was unable to overcome a disastrous single-point score at last season’s opening round – will carry the ambitions of the famous Italian factory on his shoulders alongside his teenaged British team-mate Ashton Boughen as Ducati makes its eagerly-anticipated debut in the championship.
Out of the twelve nations represented in Roden, British riders fill five of the entry slots and supporters will be hoping for a solid showing from Thomas Hunt (Yamaha), who impressed on his series debut last year, alongside the more experienced Jack Bell (Triumph).
Spanish hopes rest with 2022 champion Gerard Bailo (Zaeta), who also won silver in 2023, while his Argentinian team-mate Santiago Arangio (Zaeta) – who came within one position of a career-first podium finish last year – will be looking forward to the two home rounds that will see the series sign off in South America as the championship breaks new ground outside of Europe.
With its mix of established stars, fast-rising talent and series newcomers, the 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship is taking shape to be one of the most exciting in the sport’s history and FIM-MOTO.TV will stream all rounds LIVE including behind-the-scenes footage, interviews and expert analysis.
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