Alex Lowes completes WorldSBK Jerez test with eye on “not our strongest track”

This week’s Jerez WorldSBK test gave Alex Lowes the chance to consider a track the Bimota rider considers “not our strongest”.

The final round of World Superbike will take place in Jerez in October, but with temperatures at the test into the mid-30s at times the conditions for the race there are likely to be much different.

As a result, Lowes also had an eye on the upcoming round at Aragon, on 26–28 September, during the Jerez test, despite having tested at MotorLand before the French Round at the end of August.

“That was a good day’s work, over 70 laps,” Alex Lowes said after the second day in Jerez.

“We tried some new items, confirming some ideas that we had before. 

“The track was really hot, but it is always good to practice in these types of conditions. 

“We were coming off a good weekend in Magny Cours, so the target was to keep the momentum, keep the positivity, and we know Aragon is not our strongest track. So, we want to arrive there fresh and as positively as possible to achieve the best results.”

Lowes, and his Bimota teammate Axel Bassani, were both on-track on Wednesday following Xavi Fores’ running on Tuesday, the Spanish rider working with Lowes’ side of the box, including crew chief Pere Riba.

“We finished the two days of testing and we followed the plan to test on the first day with Xavi Fores, then with Alex [Lowes] on the second day,” said Riba.

“[On Tuesday], we focused on some new items, keeping the development of the bike going, and improving our understanding of the weaker points, so that we can still make steps forward. Xavi worked very hard. 

“The condition of the track [on Tuesday] was very good, very fast. In the morning in particular it was really fast and then in the afternoon, from around 12:30, it started to be very hot. Then, you cannot get the same information. 

“Today, with Alex we started at 10am and we tried to test all the things we wanted from then until 2pm. Then we stopped as the track temperature increased. #

“Alex was up to speed straight away from the first lap, showing confidence with the bike, and we understood a couple of items that can help for the future. Everything went very smoothly.

“We also focused on preparing the starting point for the Jerez race weekend. We are quite happy with the package we have got. 

“After Magny-Cours, where Alex was doing a great job and had great results, it seems we have kept going in the same way. We did not use any soft tyres, just race tyres, and we were not far from the top times. We are very happy and let’s see what we can do during the next races in MotorLand.”