Tenths separate Sam Lowes from Czech WorldSBK podium: “It could’ve been a better Sunday”

The Czech WorldSBK was a particularly low point for Sam Lowes in 2024, but at Most last weekend he was able to battle for the podium and take three top-sixes.

It was an impressive weekend from Lowes, who was fourth behind Danilo Petrucci in both Sunday World Superbike races – in Race 2 despite starting third behind Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega.

“Obviously, starting a bit further forward after the Superpole Race was good and I got away on the first lap behind Toprak [Razgatlioglu] and Bulega in third,” Lowes, who had qualified ninth in Superpole for the first two races of the weekend, told WorldSBK.com.

“But their pace was impressive, so I just tried to settle into a nice rhythm and we were quite a bit quicker than yesterday.”

When the front two pulled away, Lowes’ attention turned behind him to Petrucci. Their pace was similar, but the Italian just came out on top by a couple of tenths over Lowes.

“Obviously, I knew I had Petrucci behind me for a while and he passed me mid-race and then I was staying with him – we had similar pace, he was a bit stronger in the first half of the lap, I was maybe slightly stronger in the second half,” Lowes said.

“I really dug in to try and get back to him at the end.

“In the Superpole Race it was close at the line, I think 0.1 seconds and in the last race 0.2 seconds.”

In the end, Lowes admitted that while his Sunday could have yielded better results, he was pleased with the way it went after his Superpole Race crash and shoulder injury at the 2024 Czech Round.

“It could’ve been a better Sunday, but honestly coming here after my performance here last year and crashing and everything else– it was a really good weekend,” he said.

“I think the layout of this track and the way you have to ride the bike here is something I need to work on, it’s still highlighted a few things with my riding style that I need to improve. But overall it was a positive weekend.”

Despite missing the podium in all three races, Lowes banked his best points haul over the weekend in WorldSBK to date. It comes off the back of two encouraging rounds at Assen – where he scored his first pole position and first podium – and Cremona, where he was in the top-five in both Sunday races.

“I think it’s good timing to find that form and everything is in a positive way,” Lowes said.

“I’m really happy for the team, really grateful for their improvement over the winter and for this year.

“Everybody knows how good the Ducati package is, so we’re lucky for that, but you still have to do the job.

“I’m happy to be fighting with Petrucci and these guys with more experience than me in Superbike, but coming into the next tracks that I know a bit better – Misano and everything – I want to be making a step forward.”