Sam Lowes has “a point to prove” at Czech WorldSBK

Having suffered a significant shoulder injury at the WorldSBK Czech Round in 2024, Sam Lowes is heading back to Most this year with “a point to prove”.

Lowes, who contested his debut World Superbike campaign in 2024, crashed during the Superpole Race at Most last year, sustaining a broken collarbone. It was a low point of a season which showed flashes of promise from Lowes, but which ultimately rarely materialised into results, especially in the races after the Czech Round in which his best result was 11th in Race 2 at Cremona.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Most, last year was a complicated weekend for me – not a bad weekend for the first time here, but I had the crash and hurt my shoulder so it ruined my year a bit,” Lowes said, speaking to WorldSBK.com ahead of the WorldSBK Czech Round.

“So I have a little bit of a point to prove, just for myself against the track, this weekend, which is nice motivator.

“But, as far as the weekend and the track goes, I’m really looking forward to riding here, it’s an enjoyable track, and ready for FP1.”

While the motivation to find some redemption at Most is there after last year, Lowes is arriving in the Czech Republic off the back of two strong rounds in the Netherlands and Italy where he was able to qualify on the front row and show strong pace in wet and dry conditions.

“The first goal [at Most] will just continue [the form from] the last few races, to be in that top-four-or-five, have good pace, do the job, work hard on the Friday, and then progress on the weekend,” he said.

“The weather could play a part – it looks not bad, but could rain at some point, so we have to be ready for that.”

Lowes’ recent form has pulled him up to sixth in the championship and into position as the second-placed satellite Ducati rider, behind Danilo Petrucci, with a points total after four rounds that it 20 points higher than it was after 12 rounds in 2024.

“I think I have 20-odd more points than last year already, so I think it’s obviously a lot better than my rookie season,” Lowes said.

“I’m feeling a lot better with the bike, I feel like I’m nearly able to ride the bike how I want now.

“It’s a massive motivation, riding the Ducati, knowing how good the bike is; but still we have to be there, we have to do the job.

“I’m happy with [the season so far], I’d say I’d give it an eight-out-of-10 so far, maybe 8.5 on some of the weekends, and just looking to make that next step.

“Obviously, Bulega’s doing an amazing job – if I just look at the Ducatis – so I need to make a step to be closer to him and that’s what we’ll keep trying to do.”