Niclas Svensson claimed victory in a dramatic second Final of the 2026 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship after a Grand Final crash denied Martin Haarahiltunen another dominant win.
Sweden’s Niclas Svensson emerged victorious in a dramatic second Final of the 2026 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship in Inzell, Germany. A chaotic Grand Final crash between Martin Haarahiltunen and Max Koivula opened the door for Svensson to take the win, while the reigning champion still retained the overall championship lead.
Grand Final Drama
After dominating Saturday’s opening Final with a flawless performance, defending champion Martin Haarahiltunen once again looked unstoppable on Sunday.
The Swedish star won all five of his qualifying Heat races and entered the Grand Final as the clear favourite.
However, the decisive race ended in dramatic fashion when Max Koivula clipped Haarahiltunen’s rear wheel while attempting to challenge for the lead.
Both riders crashed heavily, bringing the race to a halt.
Svensson Takes the Opportunity
Koivula was judged responsible for the collision and was disqualified from the restart.
Haarahiltunen was unable to continue due to damage to his machine.
The Grand Final restart therefore featured only two riders: Sweden’s Niclas Svensson and Germany’s Luca Bauer.
Svensson controlled the race and secured his third career Grand Final victory, while Bauer delighted the home crowd by finishing second.
Strong Performances Throughout the Heats
Earlier in the meeting several riders had shown impressive speed.
Svensson opened his account with victory over Germany’s Max Niedermaier, while Austrian veteran Franz “Franky” Zorn also featured prominently in the early Heats.
Max Koivula continued the strong form he displayed on Saturday with wins over Andrej Diviš and Sebastian Reitsma.
Meanwhile Haarahiltunen maintained his dominant pace by defeating Bauer and Svensson during the qualifying races.
Huusko’s Determined Comeback
Finland’s Heikki Huusko provided one of the most memorable moments of the afternoon.
After missing the restarted opening Heat and sitting out another race while receiving medical attention, he returned to the track and fought back to win his third Heat.
The comeback kept his slim championship hopes alive and earned respect from the packed crowd at the Max Aicher Arena.
Battle for the Grand Final
As the ice surface became increasingly technical and racing lines changed, the fight for the Grand Final intensified.
Only the top two riders advanced directly to the final race, while the remaining contenders fought for qualification in the Last Chance Heat.
Koivula and Bauer eventually secured their places in the decisive race alongside Haarahiltunen and Svensson.
Championship Fight Continues
Despite missing the restart of the Grand Final, Haarahiltunen still collected valuable points and remains at the top of the championship standings.
After the opening two Finals in Inzell, the Swedish champion leads Svensson by two points, with Koivula another two points behind.
The 2026 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship will now be decided at the final round in Heerenveen, Netherlands, on 11 April.
Final 2 – Inzell 2026 Results
| Position | Rider | Country | Result |
| 1 | Niclas Svensson | Sweden | Grand Final Winner |
| 2 | Luca Bauer | Germany | Grand Final |
| 3 | Martin Haarahiltunen | Sweden | Crash – classified |
| 4 | Max Koivula | Finland | Disqualified (Grand Final incident) |
