Alex Lowes: ‘I feel good but we have to look after the tyres for the long races’

Alex Lowes heads into this weekend leading the WorldSBK championship ahead of rookie Nicolo Bulega.

Two wins at the season-opener resulted in Lowes making his best start to a Superbike season, however, round two will present challenges that Phillip Island did not. 

• Is Alvaro Bautista back and can anyone stop him in Catalunya? 

• Marco Melandri helping Axel Bassani: ‘I have a lot of experience to help him’

Catalunya is very hard on tyre wear - Phillip Island traditionally is too but the recent track surface offered a lot more grip than usual - while the Australian circuit is one of Lowes’ best circuits.

Kawasaki struggled with tyre wear deep into races in 2023 and Catalunya will provide answers as to whether they have overcome those issues.

Speaking ahead of Friday’s action, Lowes said: “We got a lot of information from the recent test to use over race weekend.

“I feel good but we have work to do to look after the tyres for the long races. In Australia, with the new surface, the track was really grippy. Catalunya is one of the least grippy tracks.

“So it was important to have tested here to get a feel for the things that we have tried in the winter tests. 

“The setting in the electronics, if not the software itself, is a lot different to last year and I am happier now knowing that that works. We are definitely better prepared after the test.

“I like the track and the layout at Catalunya. There is not a lot of grip but there are a lot of long corners where you can slide the bike quite easily. You can always enjoy riding the bike here.”

For Lowes’ team-mate Axel Bassani, Catalunya will be an opportunity to make strides forward following a difficult season-opener.

The recent test in Barcelona proved tricky for Bassani, who says it will be ‘impossible’ to fight at the front if he qualifies badly.

Bassani added: “We have done a lot of work in the recent Catalunya test and now we will race at the same track.

“Our ideas are more clean and clear now and we have tried the new tyre options also.

“For sure it is more easy to do a race weekend if you have two days of testing just before - but it is the same for everyone.

“For the race weekend, I am looking to do well in Superpole qualifying. If you start 15th or 16th in Superpole it is impossible to fight with the top guys.

“If we start from the second or third row we have the chance to fight for a good position in the races.”