Yahoo Autos Consistency key for Lowes as he stokes Moto2 title hopes
“I still feel like I’ve got a lot to give,” declares 32 year-old Englishman Sam Lowes, ahead of this weekend’s Dutch TT, eighth round of the FIM MotoGP Moto2 World Championship. The ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Moto2 rider, who won the fourth Grand Prix of 2023 at Jerez-Angel Nieto in April and who now ranks eighth in Moto2 series points. “I still have a lot of things and a lot of good stats and good results stats that I want to add to the CV.
“You know, racing is the best thing in the world and we are lucky and privileged to be doing it, and when you get good results it is even better and you enjoy it even more. This year I feel like the good results are very close. We’ve already won a race and we’ve been right there for positions and wins and that’s what you do it for. I feel like I can do more and that’s all the motivation that you need.”
This weekend is a good place for more good things to happen, Lowes feels.
“It’s good here at Assen,” he says. “It’s a track that I like quite a bit so it’s always nice to come here. The weather looks good for the weekend, so to come here and to have a chance to ride in nice conditions is always a pleasure. The race last weekend was a little bit complicated, but seventh place at one of my worst circuits — I was quite happy. Unfortunately, after the win at Jerez, we got taken out at Mugello, but we are riding good at the minute so we are looking forward to this race.”
Lowes enjoys the moment after his Jerez win.
Beyond that Jerez win, Lowes has scored top-10 finishes at Portugal, Argentina and Germany. Off-song results at the Circuit of The Americas (13th) and France (where he crashed) have hampered Lowes, but the veteran is fully aware of how competitive Moto2 is and is confident his consistency and experience will be of massive importance this summer.
“Yes, I think the big key to success in Moto2 is the consistency,” he agrees. “For the guys who can just string a few good races together, it makes a big difference. I’m happy I’m riding well. You just have to keep your head down in this class. It’s so competitive and so close that any weekend you can make a step and you can fight for victory like we did a few races ago.
“There are a lot of fast guys in these races. If you don’t feel quite good or you get a bad start, it is easy to be in 10th or 11th place and you end up having a difficult race. Or you can get a good start, like second or third, and be up front and have an excellent race. There is a lot of focus on the Saturday when we are qualifying to be starting near the front. It is a real good thing that the class is so competitive because you always feel good like when you’re close to the front and close to winning on a good day.”
Lowes is comfortable with the knowledge that there is still plenty of time for him to get where he feels he needs to be by season’s end.
“I’d like to have a few more points,” he admits. “Obviously, I had an unfortunate result at Le Mans (where Lowes crashed early in the race and had to fight back through the field to place 15th) and also an unfortunate result at Mugello (where he found himself in the gravel on the opening lap). I would have liked to have gained a few more points at those races, but I feel like the package we’ve got with the bike is good and I’m riding good, and we still have 12 races after the break. That’s quite a lot. If I can finish this first part of the season good here at Assen and get on the podium and fight for victory, I think that will put me in a very good spot when we come back from break at my home race at Silverstone.
“Once we get done with the break and get back going it is going to be real important to be fit and sharp and to be healthy, because we have a lot of races in a short space of time. Especially with the overseas races at the end of the year. I think being mentally fit and fresh and ready to go is a good step forward at that point. I’m 32 years old — sometimes in this paddock you’re made to feel a bit older, but I feel like I’m riding as good as I’ve ever ridden and my motivation is as high as ever. If you’re enjoying it and you’re healthy and you’re fast, that’s what you need to win at every race. I still can’t wait for the rest of the year and I want to keep working hard.”
While the veteran Lowes has competed in MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3, he has recently spoke about the possibility of racing alongside his identical twin brother Alex Lowes in the FIM World Superbike Championship.
“Definitely one day it would be cool,” says Lowes about teaming with his brother, who races for the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK organization. “Me and Alex, we are real close and it would be fun. But no, I’m lucky to be in the best team here so if I can do well and keep getting the results and stay competitive, it’ll be nice for me to stay here. But definitely in the next years I would like to race against Alex. If I can win and be competitive here, then this is obviously my first target. Before we both retire in a few years’ time, it would be nice to be head-to-head with each other and maybe even be teammates one day.”
Right now, though, he’s fully focused on the challenge posed by Assen’s 18-turn “Cathedral of Speed” in Sunday’s Dutch TT.
“Yeah, I’ve had bad times. Especially with injuries, like most riders, really,” he admits. “But a bad day in racing is still a good day in reality. Now I am fully aware of that. I love riding bikes and I’ve got great people around me. I’ve got a great team. I’ve got a great family. In the end, I like to wake up in the morning and be positive. Why not? That’s what it is. Bring on Assen.”
