Alex Lowes says the changing wet weather conditions in the Misano opening race triggered his fall from the lead as he aquaplaned off, as the British rider apologises to his Pata Yamaha team for “at worst a podium”.
Despite losing ground to the leading trio in the World Superbike championship standings last time out at Jerez, Alex Lowes says he won’t change his plan for Misano as he aims to retain his podium-fighting pace in Italy.
After being robbed of the chance to score a podium in Jerez during the first race of the World Superbike Championship weekend, Alex Lowes’ Spanish endeavour didn’t improve thereafter with crashes in races two and three.
Jonathan Rea says his charge from the back of the grid to fourth position in the short Superpole Race in Jerez took its toll on him mentally and physically as he tempered his mood despite closing the gap to Alvaro Bautista in the title race.
Pata Yamaha team boss Paul Denning feels the rider development he’s seen in Alex Lowes makes him unrecognisable to the person who joined his squad back in 2014.
Full FP2 World Superbike results at Aragon Alex Lowes has cut down Alvaro Bautista’s gap at the front to half a second in the second free practice session at Aragon which was curtailed by rain.
After topping two of the three days at the final pre-season test, Sam Lowes feels he has secured a base setting with his Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 which he can battle for wins with following a productive winter testing programme.
Alex Lowes is assured he’s in a stronger position than the lap times from the final day of the Phillip Island test suggest having had his progress interrupted by “a bit of a strange crash”.
Jonathan Rea may have dominated the top of the times for Kawasaki at the pre-season Jerez and Portimao tests but the reigning World Superbike champion was also buoyed by the progress gained through its testing programme.
Moriwaki-Althea Honda are not in testing action at Jerez. BMW WorldSBK Team only used transponders for the final hour of track action. 1. Stefan Bradl GER HRC MotoGP Test Team 1m 39.152s 60 laps*
The Moriwaki-Althea Honda team are not in testing action at Jerez while no times were recorded for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. 1. Alex Lowes GBR Pata Yamaha 1m 40.442s 77 laps
Yamaha Racing Manager Andrea Dosoli says expanding the manufacturer’s efforts in World Superbikes must improve its development pace to catch the front-runners and has warned the teams “we need to fight at the front rather than fight with each other.”