Sam Lowes: ‘Everything is still new for me but I feel we are going to be competitive’

Sam Lowes enjoyed a very strong Catalunya WorldSBK test as he finished fourth on day-one and seventh on the second day of action.

But more impressive than his finishing position was the time separating him from top spot as Lowes was just seven tenths down on both days. 

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That might seem like a lot, however, the pace set by Nicolo Bulega on both days created big margins between riders, therefore Lowes’ effort was a good one.

The Ducati rider is enjoying a very good start to 2024 after making the move from Moto2.

A multiple time race winner in Moto2, Lowes is beginning to look like a podium threat even at this early juncture in his Superbike career

Aboard a bike that certainly has the capabilities to do that, Lowes himself has high expectations following the two-day test and is expecting to be competitive in Barcelona.

“This whole test has been really positive,” began Lowes. “I did a lot of very good laps and I’m really happy with our performance.

“The team did a great job over the two days because our main focus was preparing as much as possible for the race here next weekend. 

“We’ve got a lot of data to analyse that will help us understand where we can be even stronger, but I feel we are going to be competitive.

“I did a time attack on a soft tyre, and we can improve in that area. I need to gain more experience in terms of how much you can push with the fresh rubber in qualifying.

“Everything is still very new for me in WorldSBK, but I feel we can improve and take another step next weekend in the races.”

Sam’s brother Alex currently leads the championship standings following his double race win at Phillip Island.