Mid way through his second year with the Marc VDS Superbike Team, Sam Lowes touches down on home soil, quite literally 5 miles from his home in the UK, at Donington Park as it plays host to Round 7 of the World Superbike Championship. Other than last year, the last time that Sam rode at Donington was 2013, as Silverstone is the circuit of choice for Grand Prix racing. “I haven’t ridden this track a lot, despite only living 5 miles away, but we just don’t get to ride here a lot. My wife is Italian and Misano is near our home there, so I ride that a lot more. I don’t really do any testing in the UK so it’s been a handful of times over the last 12 years or so, but this is definitely a home race, a lot of people are coming and from that side of it, it’s a very special round”
Asking if he would prefer the WorldSBK series to race at Silverstone or Donington, Sam said “ Donington, here is more of a racers track, craner curves is nice, lots of undulations and fast. I like Silverstone, but its just too big, its long and wide and a different kind of riding –Donington is a more old school feel of racing”
Earlier this week, Sam and the team confirmed that the partnership with the Marc VDS team will continue their journey together for a further two years and with new crew members for the 2025 season, Sam and the team have made significant step forward in progression together.
Speaking about factors that have helped he and the team move up the standings so far this year, Sam said “This year has been a lot better, I would say that it’s a combination of me being fitter and being my second year on the bike. I was so long riding prototype bikes that it was quite a big change to come here [WorldSBK] and to change bikes and tyres. The team have been really supportive of me which really helps too. Apart from a mistake in race 1 in Portugal where I crashed and when I was taken out in race 1 at Assen by Alvaro [Bautista] we have finished every single race. Finishing mostly in the top 5 or 6, which is a big step forward from last year.”
Sam’s biggest adaption from the bikes he rode in the GP paddock to here are mostly the electronics and a lot more lean angle which Sam says is the opposite to his Ducati Superbike. He went on to say “ yes its very different, stopping the bike, and less lean angle. With the Pirelli you have to stop the bike well, accelerate hard and less corner speed, I was quite good at doing it but in race mode I was losing the way a bit but now it’s starting to feel more natural”
Liberty Media’s take over of both the MotoGP and World Superbike series will no doubt bring changes to the sport, it’s expected that MotoGP will be its main initial focus but changes will trickle down. Speaking about what changes Sam would like to see or what effect some changes might have on the overall sport, he said “ There are 22 rounds in MotoGP and in the main class they have two races over the weekend plus practice, it’s a lot of riding which is good and the travel is no hardship, its part of the job, but in the other classes like Moto2 and 3, you just don’t get a lot of track time so it’s a lot of traveling for not a lot of riding. The last couple of years there I didn’t enjoy it. Now in Worlds, there is 12 rounds and three races over the weekend which for me, I could race every weekend so I’d maybe like to see them do 14 rounds with another overseas like Sepang or Qatar, but because of the costs these days it really doesn’t need to be any more than that”
“I think there will be a much focus on the MotoGP paddock before they look here, the biggest benefit is they are a media company and the more they can push the sport and get more eyes on it, all the better. MotoGP and WorldSBK is already a good product, so it can only just get better”
Speaking about young up and coming British riders who have desires to go to worlds, he also thinks that the Liberty takeover could be a benefit in as much they will be looking for a more international audience and says that riders “need to knuckle down, say and do the right things and do their best every single time”
“The problem, Spain is where a lot of the opportunities are, I do a lot of riding in Spain with 16, 17-year-olds and they have already been doing it for years on those tracks. The commitment and the money it takes to go to Worlds is huge and is the only way as a route to MotoGP”
“It’s hard stepping stones – you have got to make the change, win Supersport, which is already incredibly hard to do, so it’s very difficult to know what to do In England. We have such a core focus on more production racing. Yes it’s more achievable to get to the World paddock but I believe everyone should aspire to get to MotoGP. To grow our sport, and Liberty Media will need to widen that.”
We couldn’t not ask Sam how he thinks two time World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu will do when he makes his transition to MotoGP in 2026 with Pramac Yamaha, Sam had this to say “ From my perspective I have been very lucky in my career, I have raced against most of those that are currently in the series and Toprak is nearly as good as all of them, so for me, if he was on the best bike – which he isn’t, he would do very well. I think he would be a top 5 slash podium rider. How will he do on the Yamaha, that no one is really doing that well on, he is going to do ok, because that’s all he can do”
“The problem will be if that Toprak goes there and finishes 9th, everyone is going to say that he is s**t, but it because the bikes not competitive. But I think he will go there, he will knuckle down and within 3 years he’ll be good there and I think he will be able to win races.”
Asked if he thinks that the change to Pirelli tyres will be a benefit to Toprak when they change in 2027, Sam believes “ at that point, at that level with the testing they will get it will make no difference”
“Toprak could jump on that scooter [points to the Marc VDS paddock scooter] and could be fast, he has that much talent – but so do they. Marc Marquez is amazing, how he rides and what he has been through. I don’t know where Toprak is in relation to that, but he is very good. Next year will be difficult for him, he won’t know the bike, doesn’t know the tracks, but if Yamaha makes a step with their engine and they give him time, I believe he will do very well”
So, circling back to Sam and a sun drenched Donington park, what does Sam expect of the weekend? To win of course, “Home round win, but honestly and realistically I need three top five finishes, but of course my goal will be to win or be on the podium”
“I know the last round I wasn’t, but we have been around there or there abouts, and I want to cement that consistency and those top five positions this weekend. This track, the Yamaha’s will be fast, Alex will be fast and Bulega and Toprak will be at the front, so it will be a tight weekend and it will be great racing”
Speaking about how it is racing with his twin brother Alex, and his views on the recent speculation that Alex Marquez is letting his brother win, he said “ It’s great, me and Alex have such a unique relationship that it’s fantastic, we sometimes have a chat about it and he wants me to do amazing and I want him to do amazing and its cool and if it’s the last lap and last corner, he’ll try and pass me and I’ll try and pass him”
“Growing up, when we were 17 or 18 if someone said that we are both going to be racing together in the WolrdSBK near the front we would have said ‘F**king Hell’ . Obviously I want to beat him though”
“I think it’s the same with Alex and Marc [Marquez] I think Alex would do anything to beat Marc, but the problem is no one else can even beat Marc. Alex is doing amazing this year, he is doing more than anyone would have expected, and Alex has never been as fast as Marc, and that’s not to say he wont pass him, he just cant. Yes it’s obvious they are going to give each other a bit of space, I would do with my brother Alex, but I’ll still pass him. You naturally just give them a bit more room. Alex and Marc still live together, they are best mates like me and Al, so I’m sure Marc doesn’t race against him exactly like others. For me, of course I want to pass him [Alex Lowes], but there is always that 1 or 2 percent, you don’t want to knock him off, and you would be lying if you said not. It’s the same with teammates, you don’t knock your teammate off – yes, I know it can happen, iv done it to Al”
Sam’s predictions for Donington Park: Toprak, he won all three races here last year. I think it will be close and I think there will be some others in there. I think Alex will be there but the next few tracks suit Toprak and the bike, so its going to be good”
