Lowes looking for 'strong start', Fernandez 'still to try things'

Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernandez will kick start the Marc VDS season and what they hope will be a title challenge this Sunday as the Moto2 season officially begins. 

Lowes came extremely close to claiming his first Moto2 title last season with the team after a brilliant second half of the year. 

The British rider catapulted himself into the championship lead after three consecutive victories at Le Mans, Aragon and the Teruel Grand Prix, but suffered two broken bones in his right hand during the first Valencia race weekend which dented his efforts. 

However, heading into this season, Lowes looks back to his best so far during testing and is excited to begin the 2021 campaign. 

Lowes said: "I’m really excited to get the season started and I can’t wait to see what’s possible in the two races in Qatar.

"I’m expecting it to be a close and hard fight because all of us have done a lot of laps on the same track, so I think there’s going to be a lot of riders with very strong pace.

"I need to get the season kicked off in the best possible way and I know myself and the team are ready to go.

"The team have done a brilliant job all winter and I’m excited and ready and looking forward to making a strong start under the lights."

For his team-mate Fernandez, this season will be about regaining the form of 2019 that made him a serious title challenger to Alex Marquez, as he goes into his second season with the team. 

"I’m really looking forward to this weekend and the first race of the season. It has been a busy month with all the testing but now we’re starting racing and I can’t wait," added Fernandez. 

"We still have to try a few things on the bike during the weekend because a crash on the final night of the test prevented me from completing my full schedule.

"But I can’t wait to get back on the bike on Friday and I’m really excited to get the season started."